Their Daughter's Journey
by Anjelle
Summary: Dropped Naraku has been defeated, the jewel has been destroyed, and Kagome returned from modern times. The group has moved on with their lives. However, a new threat makes itself known, and its after InuYasha's son. NOTE: Progresses slowly, will be long. R&R
1. New Beginnings

Kagome winced, clutching the blankets tightly against her chest. She panted in exhaustion, sweat rolling down her pale skin. Then, she heard soft, muffled screams as Kaede held the newborn infant in her arms. Kagome sighed with relief and lay down on the mat. She shut her eyes, taking a deep breath, and listened to the sound of water running down her child's face. It cried even harder, louder, as the warm liquid hit its skin. Kaede laughed.

"There, there child; I'm just cleaning ye up a bit. Bear with it," said Kaede, smiling soft as the baby's screams grew even louder.

Kagome smiled. It was hard to believe, but she was a mother. It seemed like the day would never come. Everything felt like a dream. If only time could stop, she thought, and we could stay like this forever. Kagome opened her eyes and looked over at the old miko as she dried the baby. She could just barely see its face – a full head of raven black hair rested atop its head, with big brown eyes and pale skin.

"Lady Kaede," Kagome started, tired, "is it a boy or a girl?"

Kaede looked over at her as she finished wrapping the infant in cloths. She stumbled over to the new mother, smiling gently as she handed the baby over.

"It is a boy," the old woman replied as Kagome embraced her child tightly.

She held him close, right near her heart. He didn't look at all like a demon, but he was more then she had ever imagined. His skin was soft and warm. His hair was like silk. And even though the colour of his eyes and hair were the same as his mother's, he resembled InuYasha more than she thought possible. His eyes were just barely open as he stared up at his mother for the first time. Kagome couldn't help but smile. This was the happiest day of her life. And though she was exhausted, she forced herself up. Even though I can't return to modern times, she wondered, isn't it alright to be happy where I am?

Suddenly there were loud noises coming from outside the hut. Noisily they approached with the faint sound of a voice – familiar. The sound was nostalgic. She knew this voice well. But what was it saying? She couldn't make it out. As it drew nearer, the word became clear.

"Kagome!" he called out one last time before stopping at the entrance. There stood a man with silver hair and golden eyes, wearing the robe of the fire rat – InuYasha. He took one step forward, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. He fixated his gaze of the newborn in her arms. "Kagome…"

"Ye are late, InuYasha, and to your own son's birth." Kaede motioned over to him, but his gaze never left the two resting on the futon. He smiled weakly.

"So it's a boy…" He thrust his foot forward once more, slowly as to not scare his child, then another.

InuYasha knelt beside the two to get a closer look.

"His name's Sesono," his wife stated, watching her child just as he was. InuYasha turned to her, dumbfounded. Didn't he have a say in his name? But it didn't matter; the name suited him. He could let it slide this once.

InuYasha placed his finger next to his son's hand. He grabbed onto it and held it firmly. He's got a strong grip, he thought. But then he noticed something peculiar about Sesono's appearance; he looked human. There wasn't a single demonic feature on him. No claws, no fangs – not even dog ears. It was like he was completely human.

"Kagome," he started, pointing at his son with his free hand.

"Hmm?"

"Why is he human?"

"Why ask me? I don't know. Besides InuYasha, just because he doesn't look like a demon doesn't mean that he isn't. Wait until he's older and see."

"She is right, InuYasha. The young one may look like a pureblooded human but that is not so. Ye would do well to heed Kagome's words," Lady Kaede interrupted.

InuYasha groaned and rolled his eyes at this, but supposed she was right. There were many demons that were able to disguise themselves as humans, and some had no visible demonic features, either. Maybe Sesono was the same. He what just too proud to admit that he was wrong.

Suddenly InuYasha smelt something. It was strangely familiar, yet not. Something was wrong. Uneasiness welled up within him. He gritted his teeth. This stench, he started, it's the same as Naraku's. He bolted out of Lady Kaede's hut and sniffed the air. There was no mistaking it; he had to have returned. But that wasn't possible. Naraku had been defeated five years previous. He was dead.

InuYasha took a deep breath and tried calming himself. He shut his eyes and realized that the scent wasn't his. Though it was similar, there was something different about it. That aside, he felt something watching him. Cold eyes glared at him from the shadows, studying his every movement. The feeling it gave him was malicious, as though whoever was hiding wanted blood. He placed his hand on Tetsusaiga, ready to pull it from its scabbard at any given moment.

"Stop hiding and show yourself!" InuYasha growled, watching the trees as a dark figure hid within them. He couldn't see his face but there was a person hidden in the shadows. He could at least tell that much.

"My, my InuYasha, I'm impressed." It was a woman's voice. She sounded as though she found InuYasha amusing. It was just as Naraku use to speak. He hated it. "Fathering a child like him is quite an accomplishment."

InuYasha scowled and unsheathed his sword, pointing it directly at the woman.

"What do you mean? Who the hell are you?"

The woman giggled eerily in the shadows. InuYasha watched her closely. The stench of Naraku was all over her. It wasn't right. Just as quickly as she came, she vanished. But she wasn't gone. She was still there, somewhere, hiding. Her scent still remained, though very vague.

"That child, your son, I've come to take him with me," her voice echoed through the trees and darkness around him. It was like she was everywhere, but at the same time nowhere at all. And what she had said…she was after Sesono, but why?

"What?" InuYasha asked, alarmed by her sudden declaration.

"That boy…he truly is amazing. His power is far too incredible to be left alone. Before long he shall be mine, InuYasha. I suggest you say goodbye while you still have a chance," the woman made her one final threat before her presence completely vanished. InuYasha looked around the trees, searching for the strange woman that appeared before him. His eyes were wide and he clutched his sword tighter before returning it to its scabbard. Damn, he thought, I let her escape.

He sighed heavily before retiring to the hut. His family was waiting for him, and he didn't want them to be alone – not after what had just happened. It was too dangerous, he supposed. Though they hadn't fought, he could sense something different about her. There was more to her than it seemed.

Upon entering old Kaede's hut, he was greeted by the concerned face of his wife as she held Sesono. She knew that something was wrong. But what could he say? Should he tell her the truth or hide it?

"What's wrong?" she asked as he staggered over, half in a daze.

He couldn't tell her. Sesono was only just born. How was he supposed to tell his wife that someone had come to kidnap their infant son? No; he could tell her that, not what she was so happy. No, if anything happened then he would protect both her and the baby. He wouldn't let either of them come to harm.

"It's nothing. I just thought I heard something, that's all," he reassured her, a wide grin on his face.

He sat down next to Kagome. She handed him Sesono. He was so young and looked completely human. That wasn't too surprising, he supposed, since Kagome was human and he was a hanyou. The human blood overpowered the demon blood. Even so, that person said he was strong. He didn't know how she could tell immediately after his birth, but he had no choice but to believe it. Why else would she be after him? So his son was strong, huh? That was a bit hard to believe, him being so cute and all. Sesono, he started, beaming as he stared down at his son, I won't let her take you from us. I promise.

The night came to a close and morning arrived in no time at all. With Sesono strapped tightly to her back, Kagome set out for Sango's place. InuYasha outright refused to let her go, but she just ignored him as always. Even though they were married, things were still the same between them. It was just like when she would want to return to modern time and InuYasha would fight with her to stay. She giggled. It was a bit nostalgic, hearing him yell his opinions at her.

"Listen to me damn it! You shouldn't be up so soon. Wait a few days and then we can visit Sango and Miroku."

"InuYasha I'm going with or without you. I've made up my mind."

"You can't go," he protested, remembering his visitor from the day previous, "it's too dangerous."

It's too dangerous. Being in the feudal era itself was dangerous! He was being far too overprotective, even for him. It was just a walk into the village. Nothing would go wrong. She sighed and started on her way, with InuYasha following close behind, protesting most of the way there. He only gave up once their home was in sight. Even so, he wouldn't let down his guard. She could be anywhere, watching, waiting for the right moment to take Sesono away. He scowled at the thought.

Kagome sighed. "You're just in a bad mood because you stayed up all night. Demons need sleep too you know."

InuYasha turned away abruptly, "Whatever!" Within a few moments they arrived at the hut. It was fairly large considering their family of two. The couple had spoken for the longest time about having a large family – mostly Miroku – but five years had passed since they had destroyed Naraku and they still had no kids. It was a bit surprising, but not much. What was most surprising was that Kagome had a child before Sango.

Kagome peered inside to see that no one was there waiting for them. That wasn't a big shock either; they didn't inform the couple of their visit. They didn't even know that Kagome had had her baby. She took a step inside and scanned the room. "Hello? Miroku, Sango?" There was no answer. She took another small step, trying to see if anyone was home.

InuYasha groaned. "See? There's nobody here. Let's just go home already," he said in an impatient tone, his hand still on the Tetsusaiga's handle. He wouldn't let anyone come near his son – not with that woman around.

"Come on, it's been months since we last saw them. You wouldn't let me leave the house while I was pregnant, remember?"

InuYasha turned away in embarrassment. Admittedly he was a _bit_ overprotective. But what if something had happened? What if Kagome ran into a demon and she got hurt while she was pregnant? She could have lost the baby. That was the one thing he never wanted to happen. He had to keep her safe.

InuYasha's ears perked up. He heard something, like footsteps. It was coming from another room. Were they there, after all? He sniffed the air. It was them alright; their scent was strong. Or was he wrong? He could smell them all over the place. It was their house, after all.

"InuYasha? What is it?" Kagome asked as her husband snapped out of his own little world. He was acting weird, but not like the day before.

"Hmm? Oh, I heard something coming from the other room. They're probably here," he replied, not managing to convince even himself. There was something different about the scent.

Kagome shrugged off the hanyou's odd behavior and started down the hall.

"Miroku! Sango! It's Kagome, are you there?" Her question was answered by a loud scream from beyond the door. She recognized this sound. She knew it all too well – but when? When did _that_ happen? The voices on the other side only confirmed her suspicions. "No way…"

"That's it Sango; you're doing great. Just one more push," Miroku encouraged as Kagome listened from the hall.

His wife screamed in response.

"Shut up! I'm going to kill you, you lecherous monk!" So she was_ that_ type of person?

InuYasha had been preoccupied with keeping watch for that woman, so he hadn't noticed Sango's cries of pain. But this time he didn't miss it; loud, angry, and much scarier than Kagome. He jumped, then ran over to Kagome.

"K-Kagome, is that what I think it is?" He hid behind her, alarmed by the violent yelling coming from the other side of the wall. He dared not enter.

"Yeah, I think it is," Kagome said nervously. Miroku would be fine on his own, right? He was a monk, so shouldn't he know a thing or two about this? No, this was definitely not part of the job description.

Then everything went quiet, as though what they had heard was all an illusion. But it wasn't. Soft wailing made its way through the wooden door, with Miroku's happy voice along with it.

"There, there," he comforted, "you're ok."

"What is it, Miroku?" asked Sango, tired and weak. "A boy or a girl?"

Miroku raised his head with a smile. He headed over to Sango to show her their new child. "A boy," he beamed holding his son. As expected, his hair was pitch black. He looked a lot like his mother. And thankfully enough, there was no wind tunnel is his right hand. Why would there be? Naraku was dead, after all.

Clearly they were still not aware of their guests. InuYasha breathed a sigh of relief. Sango was back to her usual self, thankfully. Kagome knocked on the door. Though this was a special moment for them, she was getting a bit tired of standing. And she was excited. Sesono was born only the day before, and now Sango's child? It was a bit shocking.

"Come in," Miroku ordered kindly.

Kagome slid open the door, grinning from ear to ear. Sango sat, feeding her son under a blanket while Miroku stroked her back, getting lower and lower. Sango gritted her teeth. Though they were married, she didn't care for his perverted nature. With her free hand she flung her arm up towards his face. There was a loud smack and within moments Miroku was caressing his cheek instead of his wife's bottom.

"Would you give it a rest, you letch?"

"But Sango, I'm just so happy," he whined. Though they were married, he still never got away with it. That part of Sango would never change. But he didn't mind. Things were much more interesting this way.

"Clearly," she said boldly as the child in her arms continued to feed. She raised her head with a sweet and cheery smile as her old friends entered the room. They stood awkwardly at the young couple, not quite sure what to say. "What a surprise, Kagome and InuYasha. It's been such a long time; I had no idea you would be visiting."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Kagome apologized, "it was a bit of a spontaneous decision. But never mind that! Sango, I didn't know you were pregnant."

"Well, yes, I was. He arrived a bit sooner than expected." She stared down at the boy, still sore and tired from the birthing. It had taken a lot out of her, but she didn't want to rest.

"I would have visited sooner, but _someone_ wouldn't let me leave the house," she stated, glaring at InuYasha out of the corner of her eye.

"Keh," He turned away, arms folded. What was she getting all mad about? He had to do it, for the kid. It wasn't his fault that humans were so weak and fragile. If Kagome were a demon then he'd have nothing to worry about. He gave it a bit more thought, imagining Kagome as a demon, then shook his head. No; that'd be way too frightening.

"Kagome," Miroku started. The young girl turned to him. "What's that on your back?" he asked, noticing Sesono's black hair.

How could she have forgotten? Some mother she was! The child fussed. He'd been quiet all day…except when his hunger became too much for him. She smiled at his soft breaths as he dozed off. InuYasha grabbed him from his carrier and held him close. He stirred, and then fell back asleep. His father smiled.

Sango and Miroku sat speechless. Of course they had known that Kagome was pregnant. How could they not? But it was too incredible to see. And he didn't look very demon-like at all. On the contrary, he seemed quite human. He should at least have some demonic features, right?

"Isn't he beautiful?" Kagome beamed, watching her friends' bewildered faces.

"Kagome…it may be wrong of me to say this, but did you perhaps cheat on InuYasha?" Miroku questioned, his voice a bit shaky.

"What?" Kagome and InuYasha screamed, causing their young child to wake. He was silent at first as he opened his eyes, then cried as loud as his small lungs could handle. InuYasha pulled him away as an annoying ringing entered his ears. It hurt…a lot.

"Kagome, a little help here!" InuYasha shouted, though not nearly as loud as before. He knew better. And if he had any of the same traits as his father, his ears would be ringing just like his. Sesono would get use to it as he got older, but he was too young.

Kagome scooped Sesono out of his father's arms and cradled him. "Shh, you're ok." He stopped crying and calmed down. Nothing can beat a mother's touch, she thought while thinking back to her home in modern times. She missed her family deeply, but this was where she belonged now. If only the well worked without the jewel…but it didn't.

"Of course I didn't cheat on InuYasha. What gave you that idea?" she whispered.

"I thought as much. It's just that he looks completely human, so I wasn't sure. Why is that anyways?"

"Well-" Sango interrupted before she could explain.

"Just ignore him Kagome. That aside, what's his name?" Sango's eyes sparkled. When Kagome first told her that she was pregnant, she literally jumped for joy. It was if she was Kagome's sister. She did act like one though. And they were definitely that close. Kagome sat down gently in front of Sango, being careful of her child.

"Sesono," she replied with a smile, "and his?" She watched as the boy peered around the room after feeding. Though he was tired, the outside world was too amazing. If he fell asleep, he might miss something; that's what it looked like.

"Well…" Sango wasn't prepared for this yet. She had thought about names, yes, but she was so sure that her child would be a girl. Miroku had given her some names to think about, but she didn't care for them – especially Miroku Jr. Why would she name him after his lecherous father? Then she thought for a moment, and a name popped into her head. Hadn't her husband mentioned it to her? When she though about it, it seemed right. "It's Satoshi," she announced. Yes, that was the right choice. It rolled right off her tongue.

"Hey, Sango," Miroku whined, "don't I get a say in this?"

Sango groaned.

"And I suppose you wanted to call him Miroku Jr., right?" He smiled innocently and nodded his head. She turned away sharply, coldly. He wasn't very original. "No way. What if he turns out to be like you?"

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"No!" The last thing she wanted was for her son to take after his father and become perverted.

"By the way, Kagome, why didn't you tell us sooner about your son? I would have visited."

"Well it was pretty late last night so I thought it'd be better if I waited until morning."

"Last night? Then does that mean…"

InuYasha sprang into the conversation. "Yeah he was born yesterday. Got a problem with that?" He was still upset that they questioned him being Sesono's father. Of course he was! It was almost an insult.

The group stayed like that for a while, happily discussing what had happened since the last time they spoke. Though they weren't aware of the creatures lurking outside, watching, waiting for them to lower their guard, they weren't attacked. InuYasha wasn't ready to give up his son yet. No, he never would. The last thing he wanted was for that woman to take him. He wouldn't allow it. Whoever she was, she would never get Sesono.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you for reading the first chapter of my newest fanfiction, I really appreciate it! I have several chapters completed howeverI don't want to continue working on a story if it isn't being read or isn't good enough to get at least some feedback. I'll be uploading the chapters I have done every few days and **hope you will tell me what you think in reviews so that I'm motivated to work on it.** Also, I love hearing what you think of the story, any faults you see, and even your ideas on what might happen. I don't want to write this story if no one likes it. It moves slowly because I want to make what's going on easy to understand. The first 2 chapters contain 3 births, sorry, but I needed to introduce the new characters and didn't want them to just randomly show up. Also, please note that this story mainly deals with the next generation even though the original characters are prominent as well.


	2. Unexpected Surprise

"Kagome, don't push yourself," InuYasha ordered as his wife walked out of the hut. Nothing would happen. Nothing happened last time, and it would be the same this time. He was far too overprotective.

"I'm pregnant, InuYasha, not crippled," she stated, a bit irritated over the fact that he never let her do anything because of his fear of hurting the child growing inside of her. It was annoying, having a hanyou watching your every move, staring at you every time you stood up.

"But-"

"No buts; I'll be fine. I'm just going to gather some herbs with Lady Kaede. If anything does happen, which it won't, I'll have her with me."

He didn't deny that. Kaede was really good at what she did. She had come to their aid every time Sesono got hurt or sick and never let them down. She was old, but also very skilled. It was almost otherworldly. With her at Kagome's side, there was nothing to worry about. She was safe – both her and their unborn child.

"Fine, I'll admit, the old hag can probably take care of you better then I could," She felt a "but" coming, "but look at the size of you! You're a lot bigger that you were with Sesono. It might not be safe."

Kagome's irritation reached its max. Who was he to talk about stuff like that? Of course she was bigger; Sesono was a small baby! His comment only increased her acknowledgement of her weight gain, which she rued. She clenched her fists and spun around sharply, taking in a deep breath.

"Sit boy!" she shouted. InuYasha's face hit the floor. And if that wasn't enough… "Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit boy!" He wailed as the beads thrust him to the ground and through the floorboards. Kagome turned back around and stuck up her nose. "I expect that to be fixed by the time I get back."

"What?" InuYasha got up, rubbing his head.

"Understand?" She glared at him with a dark, malicious look out of the corner of her eye. He dared not protest, for fear of his wife's wrath. He nodded without another word as she stormed out of the house. Sesono followed close behind, grabbing onto his mothers hand and smiling up at her.

As InuYasha watched them go, he couldn't help but smile. Not once had that woman returned for him. It had been three years since then, but they went by too quickly. Before he knew it, Sesono was walking and talking and playing in the fields surrounding their home. All of it seemed too good to be true. As the woman had said, Sesono was strong. He could even lift the Tetsusaiga when it was fully transformed. Though he still looked human, two small fangs protruded from his mouth. His senses were much stronger than a human's. Even so, it was still hard to believe that she would want him. What for? When would she come?

"Mama, Daddy's funny!" Sesono stated with a huge grin. He held firmly onto his mother's hand. He liked being with Mama. She wasn't bossy like Daddy was and she always let him play, so long as he stayed close. He felt he was old enough to take care of himself, but he didn't mind. Mama liked to worry a lot. So did Daddy, but it was different with him. He was too scared to even let Mama leave the house. It seemed to have to do with Mama's big stomach, but he just passed it off as him being overprotective.

"Mama, why was Daddy yelling at you?"

"He's just worried," Kagome replied, looking down at her three year old son.

"Worried?"

"Yep, that's right." She knelt down beside him with a smile. "You see, Sesono, you're going to be a big brother soon." Kagome grabbed Sesono's hand and rested it on her stomach. He didn't really understand what was going on too well, but knew that inside Mama was a baby – hopefully a baby brother – and when it was ready it would come out.

He felt something hit his hand, pressing softly on his mother's stomach, and his face lit up. He wanted a brother badly. Daddy didn't like him going into the village too much, so his only real friend was Satoshi. But he didn't mind. Satoshi was his best friend. He liked that he was older, too, even if it was only a day. If he had a brother then he could teach him to fight like Daddy taught him. That would be fun.

Kagome got up and continued to Kaede's hut, with Sesono trailing merrily behind, wondering what his baby brother would look like. She couldn't help but grin while watching him skip down the road. He always had so much energy.

"Sesono, do you want a baby brother or sister?" It was an innocent question, although all too ironic.

"Brother!" His response was immediate. He didn't bother to think about it at all.

"But what if the baby's a girl?"

He paused for a moment. He never thought about the possibility of a baby sister. Mama was a girl and she was nice. So was Aunt Sango. He wanted a brother so they could play demon chase, but could he to that with a girl? Yeah, he could. If it was a girl he just hoped that she wasn't a crybaby. He didn't like it when Mama cried. It made him feel sad.

"I guess that'd be ok, but I still want a boy."

Kagome smiled at him, and then ruffled his hair. The hut was just coming into view, then suddenly she felt it – that all too familiar wetness she hadn't felt in three years. Her eyes widened as she came to a realization. Not now, she thought, hold on just a little longer.

"Mama what's wrong?" She was fine for the moment, so long as the contractions didn't start. But this wasn't good. Kaede's hut was still a while off. Would she make it? She looked at her son as she held her stomach. Why now of all times? Why were all of her kids so uncooperative?

"Sesono, can you run ahead and get Lady Kaede for Mama?" she asked.

"Alright. Are you ok Mama?"

"I'll be fine but you have to hurry. Now be a good boy and run as fast as you can."

The little boy nodded and dashed off into the distance. He was almost as fast as his father, luckily. And she wouldn't have the baby that quickly. She knew better. But she couldn't sit down and wait; she had to get moving. That way she could meet Kaede sooner. It would be hard once the contractions started.

She met with Kaede and her son, and was brought back to the hut as quickly and carefully as possible. Sango and Miroku were there, too. While Sango stayed to help with the delivery, Miroku went with Satoshi and his year old daughter to fetch InuYasha. When they returned with him they were told to wait outside. They could hear the screams from far away. It was worse than with Sesono. It was said that the second birth is always easier. That didn't apply in this case. InuYasha waited outside the hut, frantically scratching at the wooden frame. Why was it so much worse than the first time? And why was it taking so long? How many hours had passed already?

Miroku slammed his staff into InuYasha's skull. He stopped fidgeting and turned to the monk with a hateful glare.

"Calm down InuYasha. There's no need to worry; Kaede and Sango know what they're doing. She'll be fine," Miroku comforted, with full confidence in his wife and the old priestess.

"But…" He stopped voicing his complaints after feeling a tug at his sleeve. InuYasha looked down to see his oldest child staring up at him with a smile.

"Don't worry Daddy," he started, "Mama said that she'll be ok."

He smiled and lifted the young hanyou into his arms.

"Yeah, you're right."

Not long after, InuYasha's ears perked up to the wailing cries of an infant. He burst into the room, just like with Sesono, to see Kaede holding a baby with silver hair and golden eyes. He took a step nearer with Sesono in his arms, walking closer to the old priestess. The child was a boy, just like Sesono had wanted.

"InuYasha get out!" Sango shouted, grabbing the bucket next to her and throwing it at his head. "You can't come in yet!" InuYasha may have been the father, but he overreacted to every little thing. They didn't want him to interfere with the child's birth.

"W-what the hell was that for?"

"We're not done yet!" Sango stated, getting more and more irritated with the hanyou's presence. He was too loud.

InuYasha's face held a blank expression. He turned to his albino son, then back to Sango. They weren't done? As in Kagome wasn't done? "What do you mean?" He stared in disbelief.

"Don't you get it? There's still another child! Now hurry up and leave the hut!"

InuYasha rushed out of the room, then stared blankly at the monk and his children. She was having twins? That explained a lot. But still, twins? His jaw dropped. The boys stared at him curiously. He couldn't even speak.

"Is something the matter InuYasha?" Miroku questioned.

InuYasha's mouth curved into a smirk. "Twins…she's having twins…" He could hardly believe what he was saying. He had trouble handling Sesono whenever Kagome went out, but now there would be three of them. But it wasn't a bad thing.

"Papa what's a twins?" Satoshi asked, tugging at his father's robe.

"Instead of one baby, there're two," was all he could come up with.

"Oh, I get it," he replied.

Sesono's face lit up. Did this mean he would have two brothers? His mind wandered with thoughts of what they could do together. He looked at his dad and ginned, then hugged him tightly. His leg twitched as he waited for the ok to go in. Mama would be mad if he went in now. He didn't want to make her angry. She was scary. The last time he did something bad he was forced to sit in his room and do nothing for a whole hour. It made him fall asleep since there was nothing to do. No, he would do anything bad anymore, or at least he wouldn't get caught.

"You can come in now," an old voice bellowed from within the hut. Sesono squirmed out of his father's arms and was the first inside. Mama looked tired. She held a baby in each arm, but he couldn't quite see the second one. The first one had Daddy's colouring and there were two big, fluffy ears on his head. He had Mama's skin though.

He took a few steps closer and started to see raven coloured hair. Just like the other baby, it had fluffy dog ears, but this one's were black. He couldn't see its eyes, though. They were shut. "Mama…" he started, big eyes watching his siblings.

"The one that look's like Daddy is a boy, the other one is a girl," she smiled weakly, holding the two children close to her.

He never thought that he'd get a brother _and_ sister. Sesono observed them a few moments longer. His sister heaved a yawn and he smiled. Having a sister wouldn't be so bad. They were both so small and fragile…he would definitely protect them.

InuYasha had been standing there for a few moments. He looked at his family softly. The newest editions to the family definitely looked like demons. And they resembled him, with their big dog ears, although there's looked a bit bigger than his. He approached his wife and put his hand on Sesono's back. The boy looked up momentarily before going back to watching his brother and sister sleep.

"So," InuYasha began, "thought of any names?"

Kagome shook her head.

"No; not this time. Why don't you choose?"

InuYasha went silent. He wasn't good at these sort of things. He'd much rather leave that to Kagome. As he stared at his children's faces, a word popped into his head. "How's Shirou sound?"

She thought for a moment and tried the name out for herself. It had a nice ring to it. Kagome nodded, then pondered over her daughter's name. She had names picked, but none of them seemed to fit. Should she leave her name to InuYasha as well? "What should we call her?"

"Kikyou!" Sesono shouted with a determined look on his face. "Her name's Kikyou." He had remembered Mama telling him stories about a priestess. She had long black hair and she was really strong. Mama never did tell him what happened to her though. That aside, his sister looked just like Mama described the priestess. Her name had to be Kikyo! He had decided!

His parents stared at him blankly, wondering why he decided to join in. They couldn't think of anything better and Sesono didn't look like he was giving them much choice. InuYasha ruffled his hair with a grin and looked to his wife for approval. She nodded and it was decided. "Fine then, Kikyo it is."

"Papa, Kazumi's waking up," Satoshi stated as his younger sister stirred in Miroku's arms. His father peered down at the young girl, a smile crossing his face. She stared up at him with big, honey-coloured eyes. Their family was really growing. That included Kagome and InuYasha's family as well. After all, InuYasha was like a brother and Kagome a sister to them.

"Da…" Kazumi mumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Miroku placed her gently next to her brother. One look at Satoshi and her face lit up. The two stumbled into the hut, their father following after.

They trotted over to the mat Kagome had been laying on, gawking at the infants she held in her arms.

"Beebee!" shouted Kazumi, pointing towards the twins.

"That's right, Kazu. Those are babies," her brother assured her, grasping her hand tightly.

InuYasha motioned closer to his wife and children, whispering, "No more, alright?"

Kagome laughed. "Alright."

* * *

><p>AN: Alright! As I promised, no more births! All done! Even InuYasha was annoyed! Ok, so all of the members of the next generation have been born (sorry for writing about 3 of 4, I know its kind of annoying) and in the next chapter the story's plot will finally take off. Basically, these two chapters were meant to show the peaceful lifestyle they were living up until then, and to give you a bit more information about the new characters and what had happened after Kagome returned. (I know about the twin girls and son Miroku and Sango had in the original manga and Final Act anime, but this is a remake of a story I wrote before the manga was finished and I didn't want to change my characters.) The plot officially starts in chapter 3, and the journey will begin around chapter 9. Like I said, I want to make this long so that you guys have something you can read for a long time. **And please review! Tell me what you do and don't like! I would really appreciate the feedback.**


	3. An End to Peace

"Happy birthday, Sesono!" Mama said as he groggily headed outside. He'd almost forgotten – today he was five years old. Dad never really cared to celebrate, but Mama did.

He looked around to see Shirou at his mother's side, clinging to her as he always did. He looked left, then right, then back towards his mother.

"Where's Kiki?" he asked scratching his head.

Kagome looked to the ground, upset at usual with the mention of her daughter's name. Her eyes turned to the second hut to her left. She pulled Shirou tighter, nearer, worried that if she were to let him go, the same fate would befall him.

Sesono's expression changed, his heart sank. He pivoted around and dragged himself into the second hut. Taking a deep inward breath and stepped inside, he grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey Kiki! How you felling?" he asked, kneeling down beside she.

She stared up at him with a small, cute smile. Being two she was old enough to walk and talk, but in her state she couldn't go out much. She'd always been weak. The twins had been born premature. As she grew older, she also grew weaker. However, Shirou kept his health. That hardly seemed fair.

"Good!" she raised her voice, but even then it was no more than a whisper. He wondered if she saw through his halfhearted smile. "Seesee," she said, watching her brother as he grabbed the cloth from her forehead.

"Not Seesee, Se-so-no."

"Seesee!" He sighed, giving in to the cute mispronunciation of his name. To her it was almost like a nickname, like Shi was for Shirou. When she was younger she had a great deal of trouble saying her siblings' names. It became habit. "Wanna play," she stated as the soaked cloth returned to its spot on her forehead.

"Sorry," he hung his head low, "we'll play lots and lots when you get better." He wiped the stray droplets from her cheeks.

"Promise?"

"Yep, definitely!" She smiled at this and returned to her slumber, breathing heavily in her rest.

Sesono exited the small hunt belonging solely to his sister and headed out to the fields. He didn't like seeing her like that – of course he didn't. Kikyou was his precious little sister. Seeing her like that…he could not bear it. How long had it been since she became like that?

Kagome turned, spotting something out of the corner of her eye, to see a black haired hanyou exiting the hut to her left. She sighed, picking herself up off the ground and dusting herself off. Her oldest was growing up too fast. Already he was maturing and growing stronger…

Taking care of his sister…

"Sesono!" she hollered across the field. The boy looked up at her, grinning ear to ear. He waved and she did the same. "Go get your father! It's almost time for breakfast!"

He ran off and Kagome lowered her hand. Every time she saw him, he continuously reminded her of his father. Though he was not as short-tempered, he worried a lot about Kikyou, just as InuYasha had done for her. In addition, he looked just like him – his human form.

Sesono sprinted through the trees and dashed across the forest. He always loved the smells of the wild; they were so intriguing. Among them, he could always find Dad's scent. It stood out, him being the only demon around. Dad had driven all the other demons away a long time ago to keep Mama safe.

He skidded along the riverbed, narrowly falling in. He sighed, thankful to have not fallen, before looking up to see an ebony head of hair and blue clothes. His eyes widened. The woman stared at him from the corner of her eye, lying against a large oak. Her kimono was tattered and worn, soaked in red; her body covered in tiny cuts and bruises. The stench of blood was overwhelming, nauseating.

He took a step closer, mouth ajar, before dashing to her side. She shut her eyes, ignoring his aid.

"Are you alright? What happened?" he questioned, leaning in to take a closer look. She remained silent. "Hey, answer me!"

"I'm fine," she replied in a hushed tone. Clearly, she was not.

"But-"

"I said I'm fine," she raised her voice, resting her head on her arms, "just leave me alone."

Sesono stuck up his nose and crossed his arms.

"Keh, I was just trying to help! Sorry for being worried!" He spun around, arms folded, ready to continue his search for Dad. By now, Mama would be getting worried. She worried a lot, but not as much as Dad did.

"Wait-" He felt a small tug on his sleeve. The tug loosened, but he was still able to feel her grasp. He looked back at her, turning his torso sideways. For the first time he saw her eyes – big and sad, with a colour as bright as the sun. He knew eyes like that. There was someone with a gaze just the same as hers. "Sorry…" She lowered her head.

Though he could not see her tears, the sobbing that followed rang clear. The salt, too, it was just as overpowering as her scent. That scent of hers was demon. She was a demon Dad had not exterminated. Had he not rid the area of them all?

"It's ok…" he murmured, staring down at the girl who refused to show her tears.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated, desperately covering her eyes.

Mama told him that when he felt like crying he should cry no matter who was around. He didn't like to cry because it was embarrassing, but he did. This person made it seem like it was a bad thing. Why was she apologizing?

"I'll get some water. You wait here, ok?"

Her tears ceased and once more, she raised her head, nodding.

Sesono's face broke out into a wide smirk before he sprinted over to the riverbed. She doesn't seem bad, he thought, cupping river water and standing back up.

"Hey! Sesono!" shouted an all familiar male voice. He looked across the stream, spotting a figure with a silver mane and red robes. "What're you doing over there? C'mon, let's head home before your mom yells at us."

"Dad! There's a lady who's hurt!" he stated, dropping the water at his feet.

"Oh yeah? Where?"

"Right-" He cut himself off; no one was there. Behind him stood tall trees, grass, but the woman with ebony hair had vanished. He did not hear her leave, nor did he notice her scent disappear, and yet she was gone.

"Hurry up alright?" InuYasha shouted back, waiting for his son to return to his side.

"Yeah…" He managed to peel his eyes away from the empty shade beneath an oak, but not without effort. That woman, the image of her tears, would he see her again?

"Happy birthday!" his parents and siblings shouted at the dinner table. He sighed, blushing slightly, before grabbing a bowl of stew. Since his encounter in the morning, the day went by abnormally quick. To him, the more time passed, the closer he felt to understanding what had happened. That was not the case.

"Thank you," he fumbled over his words. Things like this were always so embarrassing!

Kagome smiled sweetly, the twins at her sides.

"Kikyou, you sure you're ok?" InuYasha asked, being concerned as he always was. It was a habit and his daughter was sick; worrying was his right.

"Yep!" she retorted.

Night fell soon after that, the familiar sounds of darkness ringing across the land. The soothing ring of crickets chirping, the howling of the wind as it made its way across the land – nothing could compare. Yet tonight he was unable put his mind at ease. The teenage woman he had spotted earlier still plagued his thoughts.

She was a demon, yet demons never got that close to the village for fear of extermination. After all, it was home to a demon slayer, monk, priestess and the strongest half demon ever, at least to Sesono. Her voice was gentle, a bit like Mama's. And her eyes…those eyes…

His eyes doubled in size, feeling a cold metal against his skin. He swallowed, slowly turning to face the intruder: a woman.

"Fool. Have you not yet realized that you're surrounded?" He sniffed the air. It smelled of demons and blood – lots of blood. "Typical half breed behavior; overconfident and easily distracted. I suppose you get that trait from you father."

"My father?" he asked, as though he was unaware. Keep her talking, he thought, someone will come for me in time.

The woman tossed her dark, inky hair aside and flashed a look of superiority onto him. She bent in near his ear and whispered, "It's no use. No matter how long you stall for time nobody's going to come save you." She laughed, recognizing his dismay. "If you don't wish for your family to meet its end then you'll come with me, boy."

Sesono gritted his teeth. His blood boiled a thousand times over with skin red and hot as lava. How dare she threaten their lives? Being as young as he was he did not quite understand the situation, however knew enough. If it were not for that last threat, his pent up rage would have escaped. Alas, his only choice was to obey. The boy lowered his fist, breathed deeply and nodded.

"Heh, your choice is quite noble; to die in their place."

Die – to die. He was going to die in their place. That was the right decision, was it not? He felt her blade's jagged edge run against his skin. Sesono nibbled along his bottom lip as he was forced outside.

"You're quite obedient. Does that family of yours mean so much?"

Sesono stayed silent. Of course, he thought, hiding his face beneath his overgrown bangs. To him…they were…

"Sesono!" shrieked a woman from behind. His mouth gaped, distress washing over his being. As he turned to face her, thoughts raced through his mind: not now, not here, when I'm about to leave. Low and behold, there before him stood a young maiden, Kagome, her husband at her side. "What…What are you…and she…"

He flashed her one of his brightest smiles. _Don't cry. Mama always looked best with a smile._ "Sorry," he inhaled deeply, "you're too late."

"Se…Sesono?" The two stared, their mouths ajar.

InuYasha gripped the Tetsusaiga, ready to tear that woman to shreds. He knew her – he remembered. How could he not? She still reeked of Naraku. The stench was all over her.

Sesono gawked at his father's right hand, shaking his head. He flashed his fangs one last time before spinning around and disappearing into the dark abyss.

"Take care of Kikyou."

* * *

><p>AN: Alright, so this is where the main plot of the story kicks off. Chapters 4-7 are going to be about what happened after Sesono was taken and will be introducing a new character, then the plot will once again kick off during chapter 8 and the story will continue on from there. I'm telling you this so that you know what to expect and so that you understand why its seems to keep getting sidetracked. I'm adding in everything you need to know rather then rushing through it because, like I said, I want it to be long. I hope you're enjoying it so far and I really appreciate the 2 reviews I've gotten! I hope you guys can give me your feedback so that I can write the story to your liking.


	4. Family Ties

Swiftly the figure, blackened by the branches that hung overhead, dashed through the greenery of InuYasha's forest. Her sable hair flowed behind her, succumbing to the spring wind. The girl leered overconfidently, with that same look she wore so many times previous. She whirled around to catch a glimpse of her pursuer. However, the only thing viewable was the forest she had already passed. Her smirk grew. She was far too ahead. No one would overtake her. No one would surpass her. She was invincible.

Once more she twirled around, happily ready to continue her run only to see a tall man glaring down at her sorely. The girl came to a screeching halt, just missing the man's slim figure. He sighed, she groaned, and they both stood in awkward silence.

Batting her eyelashes, as if to ask to be released, she watched his sunlit face and sour expression. At dawn, his silver hair turned to gold, and his already golden eyes glowed with that much more intensity.

"Let's go," he commanded, walking right by, "before they start to worry."

She scowled. What did he know? He never worried them. All of those years he was the perfect little son, never getting in trouble, never overstepping his bounds…

His hand wrapped around her wrist and he paced back to the hut but came to an abrupt halt after noticing that she would not move. He groaned in annoyance.

"You're such a pest," he pivoted around, "can't you just listen for once?"

The girl's sable hair brushed against her face as she protested, "Make me."

He was always like this - never letting her do what she wanted, always ruining her fun. And he was stronger. What she would give to be that strong! She spent seven years lying down in that damned room. Where was the harm in letting her have a little freedom?

He smiled, placing his hand atop her head. It was a weak smile; however, this one was sincere. He gave that same smile every time she rebelled.

"I understand. I get it, really I do. I'll talk to mom and dad. Just give it time."

Give it time. More than the seven years she had already wasted? Why did she always trust his words? Why did she believe him?

"Alright."

His words moved her every time they passed through his lips. The anger that she felt, the feelings bottled within her, all replaced with that one nostalgic word: brother.

Arriving back at home she felt like a wounded animal, her pride shattered, leaking from her injured person. Yet at the same time, she felt fine. It was not a big deal. There was always tomorrow. One day…

"Kikyou, please stop going off on your own like that." Her mother's words echoed through the room, in one ear and out the other. She didn't understand. She never did.

"I'm not a kid anymore," she shoved a spoonful of soup into her mouth, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"But-"

She was always like this. Neither of her parents ever listened to her. Why was she always alone, pretending to be some sick child when behind that mask she was capable, healed? If only…if only…

"Can't you just cut her some slack?" A young male voice inquired. This was a remarkable sight - the great Shirou was actually talking back. What a surprise this was. "She's not sick anymore. And she's not weak either. I mean have you seen was she can do? Just let her do what she wants."

Her father finished his stew and slammed the bowl onto the floor. He, the most stubborn, annoying half demon in the feudal era, would not be so easily swayed.

"Not happening," he declared, brimming with confidence as he always was. The silver manned hanyou looked right through her. His gaze was piercing, captivating - indifferent.

She could not go against him - father.

As usual, the day came to an abrupt end. And, as usual, she was held captive within her own home. After so many years of this, she was getting use to it - being treated like a child, that is. Always doing as she was told, never getting any say…

Just as always…

"InuYasha, don't you think Kikyou's old enough to decide what she can and cannot do?" Kagome inquired with her voice quiet and content, prepared to move on and allow her child to grow up.

"No, I don't," He retorted, sitting in a corner with his sword at his side.

"She's fifteen!"

"She's just a child!"

"You're suffocating her!" Her husband froze, as if he had only realized now. Had he? "I was fifteen when I met you, or don't you remember? She can take care of herself," she beamed.

"But-"

"If ever she were in danger, her brother's always there for her." That would always be the case. Those two had a bond that no one could break. Even she could see that.

"Shirou?"

"Him too."

InuYasha bowed his head low, resting it in his hands, defeated. Kagome always had a way with words. As always, she was right. He could not compete.

"I'll think about it."

Kikyou plopped down on the floor, bathing in mental exhaustion. Ever since she could remember, her family had been difficult. Each one of them was stubborn and pigheaded. It was in their nature.

She fell backwards onto her mat, shutting her eyes and watching the inky blackness surrounding her. It was quiet - a dead silence that could not be broken, no matter how loud you yell or how much noise you made. The mat was cool, complimenting the air outside.

Her mind drifted towards that past morn. Then, the reason she ran, hadn't she seen something? Yes, a faint silhouette hiding within the trees – that was what she had seen. She had lost it among the foliage. It was fast: faster than she was, faster than her brother was, even her father. What was it? A demon, perhaps? Its slender figure made it impossible for her to keep up. Still, the chase was thrilling, even if it only remained within a memory. The thought left her mind as she rested on the ground.

"Kiki," a voice murmured, soft and yet rough, annoyed but happy, "you there?"

She paused before replying, "Yeah, I'm here."

A silver manned boy stumbled into the hut, grinning awkwardly as he knelt down next to her. Shirou always worried. Unlike with her parents, she didn't mind. He was different. Despite being twins, he was always nervous. They could not grow close. It was sad, but true. As Shirou, he could reach places she could only dream. They were not the same.

Though he stared straight through her eyes, all she could manage was to turn away. Why could she never face him? Hers eyes shut tight. It was always like this. What a coward.

"Sorry."

Kikyou's eyes burst open faster than they had closed, immediately turning to her twin. He just…

"What?" Her voice trembled, her hands shook.

"Sorry," he repeated, one word that forever made her weak. The word she wished to hear most, the one she always spoke, traitorously, longingly, thoughtlessly.

And here he was…

Her own brother…

Shirou took a heavy, large, inward breath, "It's not right for you to be chained down to this place. I never said anything because, maybe I…" his voice faded to no more than a whisper, barely audible.

"I know," she had to stay composed. She had to stay calm.

"Their just worried," his voice shook, nervous once more, "it's not that they don't care."

"I know," she stated, slowly loosening the grip on her composure. Any second now…

Silence. The only noises made were by the crisp night air chilling the forest outside. No animals, no demons - it was calming. Yet, even then, the air was thick, suffocating.

"What were you doing?"

"Hmm?"

"When you disappeared earlier. Where were you going? I haven't seen you run like that in years," he proclaimed, making sure to emphasize the last bit.

Kikyou leaned back against the hut's wooden walls, making herself comfortable while thinking of how the phrase it. They had both heard the stories of their father chasing all resident demons away. How could she convince him? Or rather, was that what she wanted?

"I thought I saw something," the young hanyou announced, once more loosing eye contact. She tapped her foot against the floor, pulling the blanket nearer to her, above her shoulders, "a demon."

* * *

><p>AN: And finally the main character is officially introduced! So, yes, Kikyou is the main character, not Sesono. From here on the story will keep picking up until a battle in chapter 8 and then, finally, the "journey" will begin. Please tell me what you think about it! I appreciate all of the reviews I've gotten so far!


	5. Seeker of the Jewel

"A demon?" His tone was all that was needed for one to know that he was more than just a little skeptical. Being his other half, Kikyou was more aware of this than anyone else was. She had known from the start that this would happen. So, why was she so disappointed now?

She nodded, looking more towards the ground than towards him. You don't believe me, she thought, do you? Why would he? After what Father had told them, it was hard to believe.

"Is that so?" Her ears perked up, shocked, with warmth enveloping her being. "They were bound to return eventually. Did it seem strong?"

She looked up at him, more content than usual, stating, "I'm not sure – I didn't get to see it that well." Back then, for just an instance, had she not she at first seen a human?

"Alright, I understand," something she never thought she would hear, just spoken, "if anything happens then I want you to tell me. If it is a demon then it has to be after something."

He spoke those last few words and vanished into the inky blackness beyond the hut. Kikyou rested her head in her arms, curled up. Things were starting to change. Finally, seven years too late, the hands of her clock began to move.

Night came and went with Kikyou sleeping heavily through it all. She sat upright, stretching, waking. A strange scent filled the air. It entered the young girl's nostrils and quickly her vigilance rose. Her senses heightened; she scanned the room. Still dark from dawn, her eyes came in handy. Through the shaded hut, she saw, faintly, the image of a boy. It was not human – no human could have such a stench. It reeked of blood.

"Who are you?" she asked sharply, her voice unsteady and quivering. The creature stayed silent, still hidden in the corner. Even her eyes, as good as they were, could not pierce through the shadows. "Answer me," she demanded, raising her voice to a dull scream.

"So you're that girl," her ears twitched, the sound unfamiliar, "it's been a while," the boy stated, crossing his arms as he leisurely rested against the wall.

Kikyou balled her fist and prepared to strike. What he was talking about she was not sure, but it did not matter anyways. All she cared was that he was dangerous – and powerful. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. Just leave!" commanded the young hanyou, a tone identical to her father's.

"So you don't remember huh? Whatever; that makes things easier. I'm only going to say this once, so listen: I'm after the jewel, and I'll use any means to get it. You understand?" His voice wasn't so much deep as it was fierce and strong. On the contrary, it was high and nasally – young. He couldn't be passed sixteen, if that.

"What jewel? I don't know what's up with you, but you'd better leave," she threatened, though unsure if she could back it up. The last time she had fought...when was that?

"The Jewel of Four Souls, I want it. And you're going to give it to me, kid." He was cruel in the way he spoke and the words he used.

As he neared, his face became clear, revealing chestnut hair follow by bright cyan eyes, impossible for any human. Glaring up at the towering boy, she knew he was obviously the one from the day previous. His speed as he walked over, it was unbelievable. No_ human _could do that.

"Now hand it over," he ordered, grabbing her collar and pulling her closer.

"If it's that jewel you want then you're too late," she clenched her teeth, rage building, "it was purified a long time ago." The cloth on his hand brush against her neck, which made a peculiar sensation rush through her body.

The demon's smirk widened. He knew something she did not. "It's been reincarnated." Kikyou's eyes enlarged, her face going pale. "Did you really think something so powerful would just vanish?"

"That's not…there's no way…"

The demon's hand lowered to her heart. Kikyou stood breathless, watching his every move, paralyzed with fear. Why couldn't she fight? Why couldn't she escape?

"The jewel is passed through a line of powerful priestesses, though I'm sure you're aware, girl."

"Then that means…"

This guy…she could not stand him. He gave demons a bad name. His mannerisms, his thoughts and actions – everything he did irritated her further. More so, if he was after the jewel, which should not exist, then…

A loud bang emanated from the doorway. Their heads spun around to see a furious albino teen, his fist almost breaking through the wooden wall. The three stood in awkward silence before Kikyou was released. The boy turned to face her twin, tauntingly smiling as if he were superior.

"We may have to finish our conversation later, girl."

"Get the hell away from Kikyou you bastard!" Shirou screeched, steam practically rising from his ears. She had not seen her brother like this in a long time. If it were not for the situation, maybe she would have laughed.

"Kikyou, huh? It's been a while since…" the demon raised his head, overconfidence brimming, before, in a flash, he arrived behind the albino. Shirou's eyes widened. Since when were demons so fast? "We'll continue this another day, Kiki. Next time I'll get what I'm after; keep that in mind."

The demon vanished into the trees, but his words stuck. He was not weak, and he made sure they knew that. The things that he said, the actions he took, they were impossible. Nevertheless, for reasons unfathomable to any, Kikyou found interest in him. He was…unique.

Her brother scuttled over to her, still holding his breath. He relaxed his hand near to her neck. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" what he said first only made her mood grow worse.

She gritted her teeth.

"I'm fine; I can take care of myself." Memories from the night previous flashed through her mind. Had things really changed? "I thought you felt the same." No, it was all a lie. How could he ever think she was strong? How could he ever believe in her? He never had before, so why should he start now?

"Kikyou, I," his soft attitude quickly faded, back to an InuYasha-like character, "you've been sick for so long, of course I don't think you're strong! Especially after that demon walked all over you! What are you, crazy?"

It hurt. Every word he spoke tore at her chest. Her own twin did not believe in her. Were they not they supposed to be close? No one ever trusted her. They never thought she could do anything by herself. Maybe in their eyes she was worthless.

"Just shut up Shirou!" she screamed, fists clenched to the point of almost bleeding. "You don't know anything! And I didn't see you fighting off that demon either. If he wanted to he could've continued on without stopping, so just quit!"

"Why you-"

That was it. That is all it took. She snapped.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" her voice echoed throughout all of InuYasha's forest. "Leave me alone!"

With those last few words, she stormed deeper into the forest, just as she had done the day before, but different. Bitter, hurting, her heart wrenching, she was not the same as yesterday.

So much was going through her head – about the jewel, about the demon, and her family. It was a never-ending spiral. Everything felt heavy. She slumped down on a branch with her hand to her heart. The Jewel of Four Souls, according to the demon, was passed down through the generations of her family line. If that were the case, then within her lied something so powerful, the user would become unstoppable. How stupid.

* * *

><p>AN: And so a new character appeared! This guy is actually pretty important to the plot, and a little more about him will be revealed in chapter 6 when that comes out. I appreciate the reviews I've gotten so far a lot and I'm really glad you're enjoying the story I'm writing. By the time chapter 6 or 7 is out I should have a drawing up on my deviantart of 3 characters in the story. The link to my deviantart account will be available on my profile, so if those chapters are already out, please take a look. Also, reviews are more than welcome.


	6. Conversation

The cicadas cried in the distance, complaining of the heat, warning travelers of the unbearable dryness of summer. However, among the scorching heat remained a light breeze – the only salvation for a hanyou. Summer never seemed to end.

Kikyou rested in the shade of a gathering of trees, completely ignorant of her surroundings. How long had she been in hiding – an hour, a week? She lost track of time after the first few minutes. Too busy thinking, maybe.

The grass beneath her was cool and crisp. The sky was a blinding blue, with an even more blinding sun. It was radiant. She could not stand it. It did not fit the depressing atmosphere she was creating.

"Been a while, kid." A familiar yet unrecognizable voice greeted. No, she remembered. How could she forget something so unique? "Have you thought about what I said?"

Kikyou rubbed her temples, shutting her eyes and completely ignoring him.

"I'm just hallucinating. It'll go away if I don't pay attention." She spoke this to herself yet at the same time, she mocked the demon, angered him, being hated. "It's just the heat."

"Why you-" He exhaled nosily, with a grimace, calming himself. "Listen, I_ will_ have the jewel, no matter what. You can accept that and hand it over or rebel and end up hurt. It's your choice."

That threatening atmosphere had become all too common in her life, ever since that demon had arrived. Though they had not known each other long, something told her he was not that bad. Dangerous, yes, but if he was going to do something then would he not have done it by now? Even so, Kikyou could not help but feel a sense of unease when he was near. That boy was strong.

Kikyou's head whirled around to face the demon, finally getting a closer look at him. His skin was lightly tanned, making his eyes almost glow. His bangs hung over those eyes, messy as though he rarely cut it. Strangely, fangs, claws and eyes aside, the boy seemed quite human. Then again, she thought, appearances can be deceiving.

"Just leave me alone."

He seemed rather intrigued by her words, but brushed it off. "No."

She tightened her mouth, rubbing her teeth against each other. With a temper like her father's, it was no surprise. And he just fueled the flame.

"Why are you doing this? If the Jewel of Four Souls resides in my bloodline then bother Shirou. He's clearly superior; you've got the wrong person." Her voice went small, muffled by nature's sounds. Bitter anger did not show the same way in her as in her family. For the most part it stayed locked up, hidden.

"Humph, just like a brat to undermine yourself. I'd expect nothing less from someone with such a feeble amount of demon blood." His face was swathed in a deep darkness created by leaves above. The demon leaned back in his tree, a similar pose to her father.

"Say what you want, but after you're done, leave," she bellowed, as though the forest belonged to her.

He stared at her momentarily, contemplating all she had said. His eyes hid behind overgrown bangs as he thought, as he wondered. At this point, every gesture mattered.

The demon leaped from the tree to the ground directly ahead of Kikyou. Her heart skipped a beat. Inches from her face watched gleaming cyan eyes, reflecting the sun above. She took a step backwards as he fingered just above her heart.

"You've been sick most of your life, right?" he questioned, though sure of the answer. His eyes held a peculiar gleam.

"How…"

"And you're part demon. If the jewel had been purified than your body would reject it."

Kikyou gasped for air, as it seemed to vanish from her lungs. She reached for his hand, near to her heart, as though if they touched he would read her mind. Words flowed out of mind, leaving her unable to speak even basic Japanese.

The demon continued on, noticing her stupor. "The jewel is the only thing making you inferior to the albino. Once I remove it, you'll regain your strength." His claw scraped her chest, longingly wanting to rip through her skin like most other demonic figures.

"I," after finding the words, she struggled to put them together. His actions were not helping either, "I can't do it."

His hand moved from her skin, hesitantly pulling away. That reaction was not exactly what he expected. This girl was far more troublesome than he gave her credit. Nevertheless, he had to press on. He needed that jewel, and he would get it, or die trying.

"You're making no sense to me, but the sacred jewel is supposed to be powerful, right? I don't know much about it, but if it falls into the hands of a demon something bad will happen."

"You know nothing about it-"

"If what you're saying is true than I can't help you. Even if I could, I wouldn't." She had once more grasped the language. However, demons were something she could never fathom.

"Oh?" She piqued his interest.

"Demons like you are what killed my brother. I could never trust one of you."

Her head sank to her lap, recalling faint memories of the past. Every time she tried, she could not picture his face. It was so hard – so agonizing. I think we made a promise, she thought, but I cannot remember what.

The demon's eyes narrowed, perhaps disappointed, and he glared at her even closer.

"Aren't you yourself part demon?"

"I'm part human too," she stated, as though he were unaware.

He backed away. What was it about her that made him so heated? Each time they came in contact he felt superior, but as soon as she spoke that superiority vanished. With just one sentence, she could suck the life out of him. Even then…

"Whatever," he jumped back into his tree, twisting his torso around, "I can't deal with stupid half breeds. Later, Kikyou."

"Wait," the demon paused, looking back at the hanyou, "why do you know my name?"

He went silent, still. What was he to say? Why did she have to ask? That idiot, making his body feel heavy…

Burdened…

"The albino said it, or is your brain so small that you can't remember even that?"

Bastard, she thought, I'll get you back.

"Then what's your name?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It's only fair."

He sighed, "Karo," then vanished, just as he had the night previous.

The name, ringing softly in her ear, stuck within her mind. Unique as it was, it was not unfamiliar. Somehow…had she heard it before? Soon the feeling vanished and the name became something she simply knew of. Her bold nature returned and she looked off into the distance.

Karo, she thought, as though he heard, I'm not sure if I believe you but…

"I won't let the jewel fall into your hands, not matter what."

* * *

><p>AN: And now you know who he is! He's not going to appear for a little while, but at least now you know his name. What do you think about him? Think he's on her side? Anyways, I know the chapters lately have been kind of short, the next chapter will be too, however chapter 8 because of its amount of content will be a great deal larger then the rest. Do you like having short chapters released quite often or would you prefer I write longer chapters but take longer to post them? Let me know in the reviews of pm me. As always, I'm very grateful to all of the reviewers out there, to anyone who has added me or my story/stories to their alerts, I really appreciate your continued support. Feel free to review! I always like feedback!


	7. Prologue to a Journey

Kikyou started home, her head having cooled down after being riddled with so many questions created by the demon. Gripping her chest, she could do nothing but wonder: what if he was right?

Deep in thought, she failed to realize her home was in view. She halted, unsure as to how to handle this feeling within her. Subconsciously she came here, but in reality, it had been a week since she stormed out of her hut, and she had not returned since. Knowing her family, they were worried. And angry. They never had confidence in her abilities, treating her as though she was still nothing more then a child. Living in that sort of atmosphere, how could they expect her ever to stay silent?

In front of the house stood her twin, the demonic albino, as known by others. Just as usual, he tilled the farmland where their crops grew. Mom never let him touch the herbs, so he grew food. A weight lifted from her chest after seeing that. Maybe they finally trusted her.

But, how could that be?

Still far off, she was spotted. The boy quickly ran to her side, emotions a mix of relief and furry meshing. But was there guilt? Judging from his expression, not an ounce.

"Kikyou! Where the hell have you been all this time?" he screeched, causing her ears to ring a most annoying sound.

"Around."

"Around? We haven't seen you in almost a week! Do you have any idea how worried Mom and Dad are?" The extra noise was heard inside the hut where their parents dwelled, and so they stepped out to view the sudden outburst of their young son.

"What's going on?" InuYasha questioned in a most demanding tone. The parents then turned to see their daughter standing in the darkness. "Kikyou!" he called out, "Where have you been? We were worried about you!"

"InuYash-" Kagome started, being once more interrupted by the hanyou.

"We looked everywhere for you! You could have been hurt! What if a demon attacked?" he screamed furiously, angry that she left rather then happy she was safe.

Kagome grabbed InuYasha by the shoulder and tugged him back a few steps. He looked over his shoulder in bewilderment to see a very angry, very determined priestess. "Kagome?"

"That's enough InuYasha. She's old enough to take care of herself."

Kikyou's ears perked up. Had she really heard that? Not once, throughout all of the years that passed, had anyone ever said that to her. Her family always considered her weak, even weaker then her human mother. They had a right, because she was always sick as a kid. Lately her condition had improved. Still, they treated her just as before. However, now…

"But,"

"I don't want to hear it InuYasha. At her age, I was already fighting demons in the feudal era with you. She's not as weak as the two of you think."

The two boys bowed their heads, ashamed of themselves yet still feeling they were not wrong even still.

"Sorry, Kikyou."

"Mom…"

She smiled at her young daughter, showing her inside where the four of them ate, both males still pouting. The night came to a close and Kikyou returned to her hut, her mother following soon after. "Listen…" the aging priestess began. Even in her late thirties, though, Kagome still looked youthful. She turned towards a crescent moon, silver lights dancing around it. She sighed, her mouth still in an upward curve. "I know it was Shirou's fault that you ran away. Those two…they worry a lot, and sometimes that worry can seem harsh. It makes you feel like they don't trust you, or think lowly of you, like a burden."

Kikyou looked up at her mother, moonlight reflected in her eyes, thinking that maybe, just maybe, she really did understand. Her mother pushed Kikyou's sable hair away from her face, getting a closer look.

"You've grown so much. We kept our distance because we were scared to lose you like your brother…that's why they act that way, you know. They don't mean to hurt you. It's just the way they are. Please, forgive them."

In reality, her mother best understood her. Though, it wasn't until this moment that she realized that. With that, Kagome took her leave, and alone Kikyou lay. After a week of sleeping in the forest, surrounded by the midnight sounds hidden within darkness, this calm was more then she could ask. It was her saving grace, her everyday miracle. Family was not that bad. Freedom was better. Both, together, were her ideal.

* * *

><p>AN: Now maybe InuYasha won't baby her anymore. Anyways! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Chapter 8 will be out tomorrow and will be longer then most of the chapters have been up to now. Also if you would like to see a drawing I made of 3 of the characters then use this link (contains minor spoiler): .com/art/Their-Daughter-s-Journey-Sibl-252534408 or go to my profile where you can get a link to my DeviantArt account.


	8. The Encounter

He panted heavily, rushing across the greenery of the forest, tripping over whatever lay on the ground. Sunlight danced across his back as he ran, his raven hair absorbing its warmth. Sweat ran down his steaming hot face. Never before had he ran this fast. Never before was he this desperate. Just a little more…

He reached a small group of huts within the greenery, surrounding one large home, seven rooms total. The man approached it, his strong legs now wavering under the weight of his tired body. Sliding the door open in a rushed manner, he searched the rooms for any sign of his comrades. Frantically he looked, breathing a sigh of relief upon entering the third room. "InuYasha!"

Three hanyou studied the man and his attire, the human turning to catch a glimpse. His clothes were battered and torn, covered in fresh blood: some of it his, their noses affirmed. They smelled his sweat, worry its company. They saw the fear.

"You're that brat Satoshi. What brings you all the way out here?" InuYasha asked, furrowing his brows. Something was not right. This had that woman's scent all over it.

"The village…it was…and she…" he struggled to catch his breath with little results.

"Just calm down. We can't understand you if you're like this. You don't make any sense." Shirou exclaimed, annoyed by his frantic acquaintance. His attitude was far too obnoxious for an impatient hanyou to tolerate.

"There's a woman…"

InuYasha's ears perked up. It was vague, but there was always a possibility. However, he remained silent and allowed the teen to continue.

"She attacked the village with a hoard of demons. We somehow managed to fend them off, but she did something to the villagers. I'm the only one who escaped. Please, you have to help us!" Satoshi pleaded with the family, that of the strongest hanyou around.

"Wait, what about Sango and Miroku?" asked Kagome, hesitant to know the answer. Her old friends could take care of themselves, but protecting a village…

Satoshi's head sunk low. He clenched the staff in hand, gripping it his hardest, before finally speaking. "They couldn't get away."

She felt her heart sink. Her comrades, like family, were in danger. "InuYasha, we have to help them!"

"I know," he stated, clenching the Tetsusaiga. He turned to his children. "Kikyou, Shirou, both of you stay here."

"What?" shouted Shirou with a furious temper, just like his father. "You can't just leave me here! What if you need my help?"

"Keh, you'd just get in the way."

The boy slammed his fist through the floor in protest. He gritted his teeth as the others watched in shock. He was not weak. At the very least, he could protect himself. Even so, his father misjudged, thinking he was a mere weakling.

"Shirou, what your father means is that you're needed here," Kagome started, "to protect Kikyou and Satoshi from harm. He's too weak to fight right now and your sister needs to treat his wounds. They're vulnerable without someone to watch over them."

Her boost to his ego was much larger than usual. Kikyou rolled her eyes at this. Her mother had only said that to keep him out of danger, but a man with as thick a skull as him would let it go right to his head. He always did before. Shirou was not one to think before acting.

"Fine, I understand." Shirou's mouth curved upward in his excitement.

"Will you be fine on your own?" asked Satoshi, as thoughtful as ever. The two nodded and were off.

They rushed in the direction of the village, Kagome on her InuYasha's back. They dashed forward as branches traced along their skin, scraping at them. Kagome flinched, a cut along her shoulder, but brushed it off. They neared the village. The air grew thick with a poignant miasma, irritating the hanyou's nose.

"It's so strong," Kagome stated, digging her head into InuYasha's back in disgust.

"How do you think I feel?" InuYasha asked, a rhetorical question dripping with sarcasm.

"I know but…"

"But?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"Me too."

Kikyou finished crushing the herbs. She turned to the human male, a strong sense of duty welling within her. She sat him down before asking him to undress. Any healer would dread the sight. There were gouges on his arms and all throughout his back. Blood ran down his sides as the young girl attempted to apply the ointment, only for his silent screams to distract her. She heaved a sigh, annoyed, and then resumed her task.

Shirou hung over her head, scanning the wounds and analyzing her techniques in fear of one day being in a situation similar. He eyed the green substance in disgust as it draped the human's back.

"I'm shocked a human like you could survive those injuries."

Satoshi laughed.

"I'm told that quite often after exterminations. My father once said that my resilience is astounding. This is nothing to worry about." He smiled as though he was not in pain, though winced whenever his gashes were touched.

Kikyou eyed a scar on his back. It was large, cutting across his lower back in its entirety. Her fingers ran across it. It was deep and discoloured, standing out from the dark red gashes he had now.

"Kikyou?" Satoshi called out to her, in wonder of her actions.

"Where'd you get this scar?"

Satoshi folded his arms, trying to recall the event. He sat cross-legged with his head facing downwards, pondering. The memory flashed through his mind. It was hazed and mudded with uncertainty, but still he was able to recollect his thoughts. "That was so long ago, it's hard to remember. I think your brother gave it to me." Shirou blinked, and then pointed to himself. The boy groaned. "Obviously it wasn't you."

Then…

"It was Sesono."

The name resonated within Kikyou's mind. It was such a nostalgic name. They did not talk about him much, and she could only remember so much. His name was taboo in her household. Upon mentioning his name, her father turned red with rage. Rather then remembering their times together, he would prefer to forget it all just to rid himself of his death. For that reason, he deprived his son and daughter of Sesono's memory. Shirou barely recalled his existence. Kikyou did. She would reminiscence about the past all of the time; he was her idol, her hero. His face was a blur, and their time together jumbled, but it was all very important to her. He was her precious older brother.

"We were young, it's hard to recall, but while playing one day he ended up hurting my back real bad." He laughed at this. "That guy was strong for a toddler. I suppose that's what I get for messing with such a strong enemy as he." Once more he laughed, imagining how that scene looked to their parents back then. He feared him, if only for a short while. It was so long ago; he had all but forgotten. Still, who could stay his distance from such an apologetic child?

"He did it?"

"Yeah. The two of you were there, actually. You both started wailing. It was an accident, though, so no harm done."

"…"

InuYasha smelt the stench of demons. It reeked of human and demon blood. He slid into the village grounds, covering his nose. Kagome hopped down, more cautious then she had been since ridding the world of the sacred jewel. All was quiet. There were no humans in sight, no demons, but blood stained the whole area.

"InuYasha there's no one here."

He smirked in response.

"Oh yeah? The stench of their bludgeoned bodies is everywhere. They're here alright, but they're hiding."

"Hiding? But why?"

InuYasha sniffed, getting a whiff of demon fast approaching. Shielding his wife with his left arm, he grabbed Tetsusaiga with his right. Its blade formed into a large, fang shape. He stood his ground, confident.

Swiftly a large hand flung towards them, blocked by the strength of his sword. It slashed through the demon's claws, separating it into two bloody masses that lay motionless on the ground. It cried out in agony and anger, thrusting itself forward and lunging at them with its other arm. The silver haired hanyou leapt up, increasing his momentum. He swung his sword forward and sliced the beast in two, killing it in a brutal fashion.

"That can't be it. There're more hiding around here, somewhere."

"How perceptive of you, InuYasha," bellowed a voice from all around, feminine and nostalgic.

InuYasha spun around, frantic, searching for the owner of this voice. He knew her. He remembered. How could he not? He growled deep in his voice, bearing his fangs. The grip on his sword tightened, confining it to his grasp even more so then before; it would not leave his hands until her head was separated from her body. "Show yourself, you wench!"

She chuckled at this, allowing InuYasha to locate her among the debris.

"My, how rude of you, calling a woman of my stature a wench," she said, sadistic pleasure in her voice.

InuYasha turned his sights to her, recognizing her pale, eerie skin and ebony strands. The hanyou glowered, the smirk across her visage all the more enraging. He thrust himself forward, advancing nearer to her with his sword readied. He raised his sword. "Wind Scar," he cried out, using his sword's original attack. The woman only grinning as the blades of light enveloped her with their destruction. She vanished.

"Now, now, InuYasha, you didn't really think such a feeble attempt as that would be rid of me, did you?" The woman laughed at the half-breed, mocking him with her condescending glare.

He was infuriated. InuYasha caught her scent him his nose, behind him. In a blind rage, he growled fiercely at the woman, spinning around and dashing at her as he swung his sword rapidly. She dodged with such ease that his attacks seemed no stronger then the wind. She was distracted by InuYasha's relentless assault, unable to see Kagome's pending retaliation. An arrow shot at the woman. She scorned the flying object as it brushed her face, glowing brilliantly as it burned her skin. She placed a hand on her sizzling flesh, glowering at the priestess before her.

"You wretch," she called out, threatening the woman with her claws.

Once more InuYasha released the Wind Scar, just missing her form. She snarled, looking back at the hanyou who sought to slay her. He glared at her, confidence brimming, suppressing his anger.

"Don't you dare lay a damn hand on her. You've already taken my son from me; I won't let you hurt Kagome," he barked, aiming his sword once more towards the woman he wished to slay.

"InuYasha," Kagome started, her voice filled with worry and displeasure at her husband's comment. She remembered this woman also. That night, when she took one final glimpse at her young son as he vanished into the foliage, she was the one who took him. If it were not for the monster before them, their family never would have been this divided. She fought back the tears that lay behind her eyes, remembering that night.

"Foolish half breed, you should be thanking me," the pale woman started, her ruby eyes staring intently at his, "if it weren't for me, your son would have remained weak as he was back then. Now he has become a true man, containing such rich and raw power!" She cackled at his startled face, seeing his displeasure and confusion.

He felt a lump clog his throat as he processed her words. Sweat drizzled down his face, his mouth ajar.

"You…do you mean to say…is he alive?" The question pierced through Kagome's chest. Her heart sank into her stomach. He could not be. That woman had taken him that night, and since then he had never returned. If he were alive, he would be at his family's side, wouldn't he?

"Indeed InuYasha, he is," she confirmed, skewering his shoulder with the blade of her spear. She licked her lips as blood splattered her pale visage. Her eyes radiated an intense orange in the light of the setting sun. "He's powerful, that boy. Even I cannot contain him for long." She pulled her weapon from his shoulder; more blood flecking the area surrounded their beings. She licked the blood from her blade, tasting it.

InuYasha growled in pain, grasping his wound as it bled out. This pain was nothing. He needed to know more. Where was he? What had she done to him? Was he safe? He opened his mouth to speak.

"Where is he?" Kagome asked – demanded – as she held a purification arrow aimed at the female youkai. Her eyes filled with tears and determination as she readied herself to release the arrow. "Tell me, now!"

The woman glared at her, a smile adorning her face. "Wouldn't you like to know?" An abrupt silence filled the air, with only InuYasha sneers to break it. Suddenly, a whistle of some kind floated along the air. The woman looked to the sky, searching for the sound. "It appears I have run out of time. But do not worry; I'll leave some company to entertain you." She shoved the dull end of her spear into the ground before spinning it around and vanishing with the wind.

"That…that…" InuYasha snared, cracking his knuckles in annoyance. He turned to the miko, his priestess, in silent disgrace. Her eyes blinked back the tears, trying to stand strong against their recent knowledge. "Kagome…"

The rustle of movement around the village interrupted his words of encouragement, however. His ears twitched. He sniffed around to notice the stench of the villagers' blood drawing near. They dragged themselves out of their huts, covered in wounds, approaching the couple with blank expressions. InuYasha, recognizing the faces of his friends among the villagers, lowered his sword.

"InuYasha watch out!" Kagome screeched, lunging herself at him. He tripped over her, just missing a swing of the hiraikotsu.

"W-wha-?"

She stared hard into his eyes. "Don't be fooled," she shouted, "they're being controlled!" She pointed above their enemies' heads. "There! See those strings? They're controlling them like puppets!"

InuYasha blinked once, twice. There was nothing there. He scowled, unsheathing Tetsusaiga once more and rising to his feet. "So the strings are above their heads? All right then…" He readied his sword as they launched themselves at him. Jumping away, he swung his sword above them. One by one, they dropped to the ground, freed from the demoness' control. "Heh, this is child's play," he bellowed, swiping his weapon across the thread that remained unseen. The loose cords began rapping around his limps, holding him steady for the villagers to attack.

"InuYasha watch out!" Kagome shrieked as she let her arrow fly, dissolving all the cursed objects in its wake and almost hitting InuYasha's arm. He fell to the ground, rubbing his wrist.

"Watch your aim, would you?"

"Sorry!"

The continued their assault, freeing their friends and the others from the curse the threads held on them. Sango rose to her feet first, rubbing her sore limbs. She looked around at the bodies strung across the village grounds, bewildered. Turning, she spotted the hanyou and priestess standing among the bodies. "What's going on?" She stared in dismay at her friends, then back to the ground where her unconscious husband lay. She scooped him up in her arms and held him close. "What happened here?" Her voice trailed off.

Kagome approached her, and exhausted smile gracing her face; it was weak, forced.

"You were all being controlled. Its alright, they're not dead, they're just resting."

Sango breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes widened as she spun around. "Kazumi!" she cried out, sighing once more at the sight of her young daughter's face. She took another glance around. "Then where's Satoshi? Is he alright?"

Kagome could hear the panic in her voice, so similar to Kagome's own tone when she had lost her son. She knelt beside her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"He's a little worse for wear, but he'll be fine," she beamed.

* * *

><p>AN: I think this ended up being twice as long as one of my regular chapters. I should be able to finish chapter (by this time tomorrow so you won't have to wait long. And now the main plot is introduced, sort of. So what do you think of it? Any ideas on what might happen? I hope you all enjoy it and your reviews are more then welcome! They motivate me :)


	9. Ambush

"What was he like?" Kikyou wondered aloud. Satoshi's wounds had been successfully bandaged, and now he rested against the wooden wall of the Higurashi household. The boy pressed his pointer to his chin in thought. He looked to the young girl sitting to his side, then shifted to her twin.

"You don't remember?"

"Not much," Kikyou replied, clasping the material of her kimono. "I only remember a few things. I can't remember his face since I was so young."

Shirou scoffed, his arms folded in a manner similar to his father. "Who cares? He's dead, isn't he? Then it doesn't matter what he was like."

Kikyou caught the tinge of jealously in his tone. He, with a temper like his father, did not approve of the mention of his older sibling's name. Being Kikyou's only living brother, he felt a sense of pride when having to protect her. However, she always asked about Sesono and shunned away from him. This was due to his attitude, treating her like a glass figure, yet he never seemed to notice.

"Your brother was amazing." Those five words churned Shirou's stomach. He was only five, he thought, there's no way someone could be amazing so young. "Even at such a young age, he could both life and transform your father's sword."

Shirou's eyes widened. He had never dared to touch his father's sword. Father kept it close to him throughout all hours of the day, always worried of the chance that some tragedy may occur. Yet, his elder brother had even managed to bring out its true form and lift the gigantic fang, which he never could. He felt himself sink back, drawing himself into the background.

"He really did that?" Kikyou asked, pondering it within her mind.

"Yeah. As I recall, he was unable to lift it far off of the ground, though."

"What else?" Her eyes gleamed with admiration for her friend who knew so well of the loved one that she lost. She had never been able to talk about him with her family. They were far too upset over his loss.

"He always watched over you."

Her eyes narrowed. She could never forget that.

Both hanyous' ears twitched. Their eyes shifted to the opening of the hut. They could hear people rushing towards them, desperately striving to reach their home. Five sets of feet hit the ground, all heading in the same direction. Their scents were memorable.

"What is it?" Satoshi asked, grabbing hold of the knife he hid under his haori.

"Our parents," stated Shirou, not to happy a mood. Something was wrong, "and your sister."

Satoshi spun around, facing the doorway just as they had. Relief washed over his expression. Did that mean the village was saved?

"There's so much blood," Kikyou whispered, a face of disbelief. All of them were hurt. Even her great father had not escaped unscathed.

Satoshi's smile vanished. Once more, he removed his knife from his haori, stood, and clasped the staff he had brought with them. At this point, even he could sense something. There was danger approaching. With each second that paced by, the dark feeling in his stomach grew larger.

The boy scaled along the wooden walls, peeking out at the dark skies that loomed above. It was still midday. "This is bad."

"Yeah, I can smell their stench."

They all peered out at the demon hoard fast approaching. Their kind covered the sky, so much so that they stood no chance of fending them off by themselves. Kikyou swallowed as she watched them near. Before this moment, the only demon she had witnessed was Karo. Her father made sure of that. With no real combat experience, how could they fight back?

She sniffed the air. "Mom…"

Kagome wrapped her arms around her, dashing into the hut with the others falling close behind. She cupped her daughter's cheeks, thankful the three were safe. "I need all of you to listen to me."

Kazumi joined her place next to her older brother, the two standing in close proximity. Sango prepared her Hiraikotsu outside, her husband chanting, creating a protective barrier around the home.

"We're all in danger," announced the aging priestess, giving her words a moment to sink in. "Your parents and I can fend them off, but we need the rest of you to get as far away from here as possible." You could see she was holding back tears.

"But what about you?" her daughter asked, watching her parent with sad eyes.

She did not answer.

"Satoshi, we need you to watch over them. You have experience with demons."

"Right."

"I need you all to go through the back entrance." Before she left to join her comrades, she turned back to Kikyou. She brushed the hair from her he face, leaning in close to her ear. Inaudible to any human, the twins both heard her words, "Your brother is alive."

She left her children with wide eyes, gripping tightly to her bow as she prepared to shoot into the mass of demons. The arrow fired. As it hit the grouping, a large pink glow surrounded it, obliterating whatever laid in its wake. She prepared another.

Miroku winced as his concentration diminished. With the creatures flinging themselves at him, it was hard not to break his position. Sango rushed to his aid, swinging her mighty weapon at his attackers. Their bodies fell to the ground in pieces, slowly disintegrating. The couple breathed in relief.

Kagome knelt next to the monk. "It's alright now; you can let down the barrier." She turned to her husband as he released another wind scar. With ever hundred he killed, several hundreds were on the horizon. Even against Naraku, never before had this many demons surfaced. InuYasha panted as he fell back to the ground.

"This is ridiculous!" he shouted overtop of their approaching enemies. "No matter how much we attack, more just keep coming!"

"Its time like these that I wish I still had my wind tunnel," Miroku groaned, watching his left had where the sacred beads once dwelled.

"Do not say such things," Sango began, preparing another assault as she mounted Kirara. "By now you would have been dead."

The youkai dived at the monk, whose staff blocked their attack. He threw a sutra into the group and watched them burn. How long could he keep this up? Their numbers never diminished no matter what force was used against them. At this rate, they would lose their stamina before ridding the area of the enemy.

A flash of crimson and white slashed through the sky. The demons' corpses fell to the ground, blood raining down on them. Shirou continued his rampage through them, flexing his claws just as his father had always done. His parents watched him in disbelief and horror, eyes wide and brow furrowed.

"You idiot!"

* * *

><p>AN: So is it getting interesting yet? I hope so. This chapter was written kind of lazily...sorry, I haven't been sleeping too well so I'm kind of out of it. I need a cappuccino. Anyways, thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story thus far! I look forward to all of your reviews and they're what motivates me to keep on going! I do appreciate you guys taking your time to read my story and I love any feedback I get! So thank you! I'll try to make sure the next chapter is written better and isn't so rushed.


	10. Something Precious

"Are you sure it was alright to let him go?" Kikyou questioned as she leapt from tree to tree. She watched down below at her two human companions as they traced along the forest's muddled path. The distance between her group and their pursuers was growing; no doubt, it was thanks to her family keeping them at bay. Still, she could not help but worry for the albino twin she left behind. He held little combat experience, so she had no choice but to believe her parent's would keep him away from harm. Instincts could only protect him for so long.

"We had no choice," Satoshi's speed increased as he grasped tightly to his sibling's hand, "he would have left no matter what we did. He's like your father that way." She had to agree with that. Their looks were similar, and their personalities even more so. If they had tried to stop him, no doubt he would have resisted. Shirou was persistent. He always needed to have his way. "We have to hurry. There's no telling how long they can hold them off." Even saying what he did, he remained calm. Is this what it meant to be a veteran?

"But Sato, where are we headed?" Kazumi panted, trailing close behind her elder brother. How long could they run like that? Humans did not have even remotely close to the stamina demons did. They could only keep it up for so long.

"As far away as possible. You heard Kagome. If we don't keep running, we could be in serious trouble."

"But what about our families? What if we go too far? We may lose our way!"

She pleaded with her brother to think rationally, not given an answer. He looked towards the hanyou in the trees. With her senses, they could make it back. A more appropriate question would be to ask _when_ they could go back.

InuYasha stared intently at his adolescent son with rage-filled eyes. Naturally, to a hanyou with a short temper, his only outlet was to bark his complaints to the white haired boy to his left.

"The hell were you thinking? This isn't some game, Shirou!" He sliced at another youkai, growling deep in his voice.

"I know that!" retorted the young son, stepping in to once again join the battle, "I can fight too, damn it! I'm not some weak human! I can take care of myself." He shredded a snake-like creature with his claws, staining his already red haori will the deep crimson of blood.

"No you can't!" His father's words pierced through him. He sunk back, eyes wide, shocked that his father did not trust him. InuYasha shoved him to the side, slicing an insect creature with his sword.

Shirou lowered his claws, allowing the blood to drip down his arm and soak the ground beneath. He could see through the hoards the darkness' approach, warned by the oranges of the setting sun. As nightfall drew near, the youkai would grow more vicious. That did not matter to him.

He hung his head, his silver hair reflecting the pinks, yellows and reds of the sky. Clenching his crimson fist, he growled low. "You just don't understand, do you, Dad?" His voice was a mere murmur under the screeches and roars of the beasts before them. InuYasha heard.

He looked to his right at the miko and demon slayer giving their all in this fight, risking their lives for the sake of their children. He looked to his left at the monk, doing his best to protect everyone from the current threat. Then he looked forward at the man who destroyed all those in his path, slashing his foes down with one mighty swing, never swayed by thoughts of his own life. One might say he was reckless, that was true. You could call him a fool, which was also true. These were what made Shirou aspire to be like him. He also wanted to find his place among his family. He wanted to feel a sense of pride that only the greats felt. As a human, but even more as a demon, he wanted to surpass the man that he had always followed behind.

"You just don't understand!" yelled out the hanyou, arms hacking away at the flesh of the youkai one after another. A large bird swooped down and dug its talons into the boy's side. He winced at the sudden throbbing that rushed over his abdomen and back as the claws deepened into his flesh.

"Shirou!" screeched Kagome, salty tears forming behind her eyes. She aimed the arrow at the beast twice. Both of her shots were misses and she watched, collapsing to her knees, as he fought against the creature's talons. He tried turning himself so that he could face upwards and slice through the bird's leg, but with each attempt and struggle he felt the claws dig deeper into his sides. Blood oozed from his limp figure as he faded in and out of consciousness. He could only think, seeing his father's white and red form as he was carried off, _you were right._

InuYasha flung his sword over his shoulder as he readied the wind scar. For fear of hitting the child, he stopped. The bird flew off into the setting sun, Shirou still within its possession. They watched; the two were shot out of the sky, unbeknownst to them just how. They saw the speck of what was their boy's corpse falling beneath the trees.

"Damn it!" shouted InuYasha, shoving Tetsusaiga into the ground, leaning all his weight on it. "I couldn't…"

Kagome's hands hit the ground with her tears following suit. She did not blink; she feared that it might be true. "Shirou…" His life could not be lost that easily. He was a hanyou, after all. He was his father's son. Was that not the case? InuYasha had survived worse. All of them had. Then why was she unable to shake this quivering in her heart?

She shot back to her feet, firing an arrow at the youkai once again, watching as their bodies vanished in its pink glow. She had to hurry. What if he was okay? What if he needed help?

_My boy…_

The miko dashed into the clearing she had made as the fiends began filling the gap. InuYasha grabbed hold of her wrist and she snapped back as the hole she had made disappeared. "Let me go! He needs me!"

"There's nothing you can do for him right now!" Her eyes enlarged once again. The tears stopped. She did not like what InuYasha was saying. "At this point, he only has himself to rely on. He'll either make it out on his own or…or…he won't…" InuYasha bit his lip. That could never happen. He could not lose another son. It was his fault, both then and now. He should have been more careful. Why was he paying so little attention to his son? He knew he was too weak to protect himself! Back then, as well: why had he not noticed that witch's presence when she came to take Sesono? Everything fell on his shoulders.

His mate saw the look in his eyes. She understood, she did not accept it, though. Picking her body off the ground, the miko pulled herself together. He was right; there was nothing she could do right now.

Sango cried out in pain as a youkai jabbed her shoulder with its horn.

"Sango!" Miroku rushed to her aid, erecting a small barrier to defend the two. "Are you alright?"

She looked up at the monk, forcing a smile. "I'll be alright. You should help the others." She motioned to the silver hanyou and his priestess who were being taken back by their foes' persistence.

"I won't leave you."

"Miroku, you don't have a choice! We both have to fight!" With that, she grabbed tightly to Kirara's fur, the giant cat sweeping her into the sky. She cringed at her own agony as she once more moved into battle. She never wished to see one of her children in Shirou's position. She had to fight.


	11. Silver Hanyou, Golden Youkai

Kikyou felt a twinge in her chest. Stopping momentarily, she thought back to those left behind. Her friends looked back towards her in confusion. "It's not right," she whispered to no one in particular. She held firmly to her kimono, resting her fist against her chest. The hanyou looked down to Kazumi and Satoshi. "Something happened!"

Satoshi looked down, as though to hide this response, "We can't go back."

She sank onto her branch, knees weak. _Please be alright…_

His world went dark. The pain faded to numbness. Everything felt cold. All he could think of were his father's words. They resounded through his mind. He was right. Through his rash behavior, his own life would end, and he had no one to blame but himself. He was right; they all were.

_I'm a fool…_

A bright green light flashed beyond his closed eyelids. Before they could open, something sent him crashing towards land. It was hard to breathe. He fell, arms locked around his neck in an attempt not to suffocate.

_Thud._

The boy drifted in and out of consciousness. Two dark figures approached his corpse-like figure. One knelt at his side, tracing its fingers along the claw markings on his abdomen. Its breath was like fire against his icy skin. Squinting in a final attempt to detail the beings, he saw a human and a demon. Golden eyes watched down at him. They were the last he saw before slipping away…

"My Lord, he appears to have taken quite heavy damage from the demon you have just slain."

"Indeed."

The woman once more fingered at the holes in his stomach. "My…what damage…"

"He is not long for his world, then." The man declared this with an expressionless face. He unsheathed a sword and readied its use against the child. This boy's scent was familiar.

"You mustn't, my Lord! This boy is alive. We are able to save him." She shielded the albino with her arms outstretched. The girl stared intently at those golden, amber eyes of his. She was confident. He was not so cruel. Then she looked to the boy, again studying his wounds. "They are deep, however only punctured a few minor organs. I do not believe it intended for his death. And look," she pulled his lips away from his canine-like fangs, not bothering with his ears, "he is hanyou. These injuries of his can be healed with time, Milord."

The demon glared down at the child. "Pity."

"Milord!"

"If he were to die, Tenseiga would bring life back to his corpse. This method of healing is troublesome." He took one last look at the kid, noticing the familiarity in his features. There was no doubt that he was that man's spawn. He had caught a glimpse of the pup before, many years ago, when he came for Rin. Though the child was a mere infant then, his scent had not differed. He turned olfrom the lifeless body that lay on the ground and motioned away.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you do not plan to leave this poor boy, do you?" Rin's eyes pleaded with the demon, hands folded together in hope. She knew him well. It was not like him to leave someone on the brink of death. That was, in part, due to her influence. She knew that he preferred the less involved method of using his sword to bring the dead back to life, but this hanyou could not be abandoned at such a young age.

"The boy carries the blood of the inuyoukai, however muddled it may be. I will save him if only for that reason alone."

Rin beamed at the man, eyes sparkling with gratitude. Was it ever any guess that he would help? Back then, he had saved her from a worse fate. He was not so cold hearted. She gazed down at the shut eyes of the hanyou that so resembled her Lord.

"You will be alright now."

The echo of water drizzling from above sang down towards his face. He felt its cooling touch run across his cheek. Something shuffled in its place beside him. A warm touch graced his wounds, carefully applying a cool substance. He flinched. This was all too much. Somehow, this did not seem like the netherworld.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" A woman's voice resounded throughout his aching head. Shirou touched his brow, trying to relive the pain as he sat up. "I do not think you should stand right now. Relax for the moment. I am almost finished treating you."

He groaned, laying back down and opening his eyes to the brightness of dawn. Shirou reached out his hand, trying to catch the light. The surrounding area was strange. They stayed within a cave. It was musty and old, a less then ideal location for healing injuries. Beyond the cave was a vast forest, stretching far beyond the horizon. It was immense, covering all of the area's lands. This forest was not the one surrounding his home; that was certain. Here there would be no sacred tree. The family he knew was gone.

A wet cloth brushed against his brow. The water poured over him. He turned his eyes to the cave wall away from him. A girl sat there, resting herself. She grasped tightly to a bladed weapon. Her eyes were shut with ash brown strands dancing along her skin.

"I am done applying the ointment. Now you much get some rest," the first girl announced, interrupting Shirou's gaze.

"Who are you? And where is this place?" Rather than showing gratitude, all he could do was ask questions. Too much was going through his head. He needed answers.

The woman smiled at him as she removed the cloth from his forehead. She dipped it into a bowl full of water. "My name is Rin. My Lord and I spotted you on our way to visit my former guardian, Lady Kaede." She wrung out the cloth while saying so.

"You know the old woman?"

"Very much so. You were at the mercy of a demon and my Lord saved your life. This place is our safe house, for the time being. It should serve its purpose well until you have recovered."

"Who is this man you keep mentioning? And that girl…" Shirou looked again at the brunette sleeping in the corner.

Rather then answer his questions, she continued by asking one of her own. She had been pondering this for some time now, and was certain that she reached the correct answer. "You're Master InuYasha's son, are you not?" Shirou nodded, perplexed over how she knew his father. "I knew it! You look a great deal like him. I can, however, see Kagome in your eyes."

"How…"

"Oh, milord!" Rin picked herself off the ground and dashed to a man standing at the entrance. He was tall and proud with eyes that glowed golden just as his father's did. Silver hair draped over his body as he walked nearer to the black haired Rin. The demon's features were noble. His forehead held a blue crescent marking while dark crimson stripes adorned his pale cheeks. More of those same stripes twisted around his arms, met with his sharp, demonic claws. The man held a condescending air that made Shirou shrink back.

Rin wrapped her arms around his, unafraid of his intimidating demeanor. She was brave, not showing fear when in the presence of such a terrifying youkai. She nudged the demon in the hanyou's direction. "Lord Sesshomaru, the boy has wakened!" Rin remained as cheerful as before.

"Indeed," said the demon. His voice was deep and eerie, befitting his appearance. _I can tell from his scent that he's no ordinary demon. This guy is strong._ "What a troublesome half breed." Sesshomaru glowered.

Shirou scoffed at this; he strongly tried to not act on the insult he was given. He looked behind the demon to a green imp-like creature as it scurried across the cave to the sleeping girl. It shook her gently a few times, but she did not awaken.

"What is your name, boy?" asked Sesshomaru, showing no real interest.

He glared at the man. "Shirou."

Sesshomaru snickered. _Of course the half breed would give his half breed son the name of a house pet. How fitting._ That boy did not look impressive. His strength would have been on par with InuYasha at best. Not much could be expected, with so much human blood flowing through him. Still, he did not despise him as he did InuYasha. Perhaps this was also due to Rin's influence.

"I am your father's brother. If it were not for the blood of the inuyoukai that flows through you then I would not have saved your pathetic life. Know this well, boy."

He stared up at him with enlarged eyes. He had heard it mentioned once or twice about his father's elder sibling. Never did he think he would meet that man, though. He was more impressive then Father! There was no need to see him fight to know of his strength. His aura gave warning to everyone of his might.

"Then you're a hanyou? I couldn't tell at all!"

Sesshomaru cringed. "Do not insult me with your foolish assumptions." He turned his back on Shirou, ready to head out again. "Sae," he called out in a low tone. Immediately the sleeping girl snapped to her feet and rushed to his side, the green imp soon to follow. As she passed, Shirou caught her scent. She, too, was a demon. Before heading out, Shirou had one last thing needing an answer.

"Wait! Uncle!"

Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitched, remembering back to the time Kagome had called him "brother" after her marriage. "Do not call me that."

"Then, Sesshomaru, please teach me how to fight!" He stayed on his knees in an honorific fashion. He needed strength. Without it, he would be a burden to his father once more. He needed the power to protect himself and his sister.

"How dare some half breed ask the great Sesshomaru for something like that? You have some nerve!" The girl Sae's voice projected throughout the cave. She had spunk.

"Interesting." Sesshomaru's mouth curved ever so slightly.

Jaken trembled. "Milord, are you smiling?" He was ignored.

"You should be asking such things after having proved yourself, Shirou."

The demon and his two accomplices left, leaving Rin to tend to Shirou. The fact that he even considered it was baffling to all of them. Maybe he still had a chance.


	12. The Prelude's End

"Shirou!" Kagome called as the group scoured the foliage for their missing companion. After a sleepless, tireless night of combat, still they could not rest. They could not abandon her son.

"Kagome!" InuYasha called out, motioning the priestess nearer to him. He knelt, resting his arms on his knees as she ran to him. She let out a gasp, cupping her mouth at the sight of splattered blood staining a patch of grass. InuYasha came to his feet and she burring her face in his chest.

"He's not here." Here ears perked as she stared up into her husband's eyes. "He was, but his scent disappeared. He's alive, Kagome. You can rest now." With the passing of his final sentence she fell unconscious into his arms.

Sango and Miroku ran towards them when they spotted her fall. "Is she alright?"

"She's just tired. We should go back and rest while we can. I don't think this is over," InuYasha declared, eyes narrowed at the bloodied ground.

"What do you mean?"

"They aren't going to give up that easily. For whatever reason, those demons are after us, and I'm certain they'll return tonight."

The couple gasped, their aching bodies cringing with the knowledge of their next fight. "But what about the children?" asked Miroku, worrying for the three they sent away.

"They'll just have to learn to take care of themselves."

"You cannot be serious, InuYasha!" he shouted back.

"I don't like it either but we have no choice!" There was a small pause as the parents took in his words. "If we go to them, we'll only put them in more danger. They'll be ok." With that being their only reassurance, they nodded and the four of them headed home to prepare for the second onslaught the demoness decided to prepare for them.

"Shouldn't we go back?" Kazumi asked, looking behind them as they prepared to continue on. They had stopped to sleep late last night, and already they woke and continued to travel. They had to keep moving.

"No," Satoshi replied bluntly.

"But what if the battle's over? Or what if they need our help?"

"We can't stop now. If they wanted us to return, they would have sent Kirara to come find us. They didn't. So, we keep moving." He packed what little they had brought with them and started walking away.

Kazumi groaned. "You're so stubborn! I can't believe you!" She turned to her golden-eyed comrade. "Kikyou, say something! Don't you think he's being ridiculous?"

She stayed silent, glancing back at Kazumi then to the sky. "I think…" her voice trailed. She thought back to the words her mother whispered to her the night before: Sesono is alive. What was meant by that, she had no idea. If it were true, then what happened back then?

What was she supposed to do now?

"…we should keep going."

Kazumi was shocked. She thought that, at the very least, her best friend would agree with her. Of course, she was proven wrong. She heaved a sigh. "You two are hopeless."

Not more then ten minutes later, a question arrived in Kazumi's mind. "Where are we headed, anyways? I know we have to get away as far as possible, but you have to at least have some idea, right?"

"Not a clue."

The two girls came to a dead halt, disbelieving faces staring at them as though he was insane. He looked back at them, wondering the cause for their sudden stop. "What's wrong, you two?" He could see the rage building up in Kazumi as she tried to hold back her anger.

"You can't be serious!" She clenched her fist in annoyance, resembling her mother. "Some leader you turned out to be! I cannot believe your incompetence! What a fool."

"Kazu, calm down, I'm sure it will be fine," Kikyou assured her friend, trying to cool off her temper. Though Satoshi was the more stern of the two, Kazumi had the least patience, especially when it came to her brother. She had so much respect for him, but when he did stupid things like this, she could do nothing more than scold him. Being so absentminded, he never put much thought into his actions, making hi intelligence meaningless in times of need. Kikyou was very use to acting as their mediator because they were like this even as children. Still, sometimes it got to be too arduous a task.

"Fine." Her rage subsided, if only for the moment. "Kikyou, can you lead us to a village? We need to eat, though my brother fails to take that into consideration." She glared once more at him, scoffed, and returned to face the hanyou.

"Of course." She sniffed the air once, twice, before catching a scent. "I can vaguely smell food and sake, so I don't think we're too far from the next town. It's straight ahead."

"Thank you. At least there is someone here who I can rely on."

"You're so harsh…"

A/N: It's been so long since I updated….I'm so sorry! I started my final year in high school and with trying to raise my marks for university I just sort of forgot about all my fanfiction. But I'll start writing it again, though not as frequently as I did in the summer. Please be patients, few fans that I have. I know this chapter is short and boring, but I wanted to close up the "beginning ark". Basically, the real storyline is going to start now, mainly focusing on Kikyou and her friends traveling together. Don't worry, it gets more interesting then that. Ironically enough this story is now longer than the original one that I made and completed 7 years ago yet it's just starting. I told you it was going to be long!

Also, I'm going to be making more art for this story. I hope to draw one drawing for every few chapters to give you guys a better visual of what's going on.

To my newest mediaminer reviewer: Thank you for your review! What happened between when Sesono was "killed" and when the story picks up again is going to be revealed in the future. There is actually a lot of important information in that timeframe but if I explain it now some of the plot will be revealed, but trust me, there are going to be plenty of flashbacks later on to better explain things. Also, I agree that Shirou is too much like InuYasha, he acts that way because of how he was raised and because he looks up to InuYasha, but his character will develop later on as she story progresses.

Please REVIEW!


	13. A Village Encounter

"Kiki, would you stop that? It's embarrassing…" Kazumi stated, blushing as she tried to avoid the awkward glares of the locals.

"But it's so strange!" replied Kikyou enthusiastically as she sniffed everything in sight, from huts to ground to pottery. Much like her father, none but her own bloodline rivaled her sense of smell. Able to sniff out every food, person and object that had passed within a week, the aromas surrounding her were overwhelming. Data from the scents being registered in her mind, she could think of nothing else. Unlike her father, she had not learned to sift through such an abundance of smells.

"You have to remember that she hasn't left the village since she was small, Kazumi. It's a lot to take in."

"I haven't either, you know," she retorted in a spiteful tone.

"But you're not dealing with such a remarkable sense of smell."

"…"

Her eyes sparkled as she walked past stores and restaurants, beaming at every sight. In all her amazement, she was shocked when she slammed into something. She let out a yelp as she plummeted to the ground. She rubbed her back in an attempt to lessen the sting. Her comrades stared down at her, baffled because she had never before been so clumsy.

"Are you alright?"

A hand stretched out to her, motioning for her to grab on. She blinked before looking upwards to the man to whom the hand belonged. She grabbed hold and rose to her feet, watching him.

He was a very tall man, towering over most of the group and just barely over Satoshi. Wearing some form of battle gear, he almost resembled a demon slayer, a mask resembling Sango and Kazumi's adorning the lower half of his face.

"I'm fine, no thanks to you," she answered harshly, still surveying his being. A large, black patch covered his left eye and most of the left side of his face. It looked unseemly and distracting against his pale skin and spiky blue-grey hair. An emblem was embroidered on his chest, which she had never seen before.

"So it's my fault you were wandering through the town without paying attention?" He watched her pout at this, realizing he was right, and before giving an answer his eyes seemed to smile at her, as though she was a lost child. "Don't get so distracted next time." He continued passing and disappeared within the crowds.

Kikyou squinted, "I don't like him."

Kazumi looked into the crowds. "That man…was he a demon slayer as well?"

Satoshi thought back to his mental image of the man, folding his arms in thought. "No; his attire was certainly similar, but his chest plate and armor were unusual. Perhaps he was a soldier of some sort?"

"I doubt it." The siblings stared at Kikyou in confusion, awaiting her explanation. She finished dusting herself off and walked forward, almost indifferent. "He's a demon."

Their eyes widened, not expecting that answer. He was a demon. Everything about him looked human, from his face to his hands. Then they thought again. His hair colour was abnormal, foreign. Strange as it was, it did not look demonic.

Kikyou gritted her teeth, storming further into town. _Why didn't I sense him?_ The image of that man, and the shock she felt when they touched, could not escape her mind. Over and over she pondered it. Never before had she not sensed nor smelled a demon even 500 meters away, let alone one right in front of her. When she bumped into him, she felt his presence and demonic aura envelop her; it was suffocating. In comparison to the hoard of demons before, he was devastatingly strong – incomparably, really.

"Kikyou, slow down!" shouted Kazumi as she ran to catch up. Satoshi had agreed to locate supplies and separated from the two.

Kazumi grabbed hold of her friend's shoulder and pulled her back. She snapped out of her focus and returned to her surroundings, blankly looking to Kazumi's face. She was breathing heavily and had started to sweat, showing just how fast Kikyou was going.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry," she thought for a moment, deciding not to burden her friend with her frustration, "its nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

She began to worry knowing that something was wrong, but said nothing as they took a seat outside a food stand.

Kikyou breathed slowly, trying to make sense of yesterday and calm herself after her recent encounter. The sun shone strongly above, scorching the ground beneath them. The summers were always hot, but she never took notice of it until then because she was always beneath the trees of her father's forest. Never before had she been so far from home without her family at her side. They stayed together through everything, and yet now they were so far away. All of the memories they shared seemed to wither away.

She thought back to her brother once more, only now having time to analyze her mother's final words to her. It hardly seemed possible for Sesono to be alive, seeing as he had been "dead" for the majority of her life. Looking back, she never got an explanation for his disappearance. One day he was gone, and no one said a thing.

Where was he? If he was alive all of those years then where was he now? And what he been doing?

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" asked Kazumi, seeing the worry in her eyes. "Are you worried about that demon from earlier?"

She shook her head "It's not that."

"Then…?"

Satoshi spotted his two comrades from a distance. Noting their concern, he watched as his sister's face contorted, giving her a less than approachable demeanor. On his back was a basket of rice, being the only thing he could afford. Slowly he stepped closer to them, not wanting to intrude. "Then, what did she mean by that?" Kikyou shook her head.

"She neglected to explain it to me."

"I see…"

Once more, the two sat depressed and frustrated as the eldest neared. He took notice of this and was careful not to anger them. "If you are both ready, we should probably move on. The sooner we leave, the further we can travel."

"I still don't get why we have to keep going. The demons are all dead by now."  
>Kazumi spat, crossing her arms in annoyance.<p>

Satoshi sighed, not exactly sure how to explain the situations properly to his young sibling. He scratched his head. "Well, we do not have the means to go against orders. They wanted us to get as far as we could, and until I hear from them we will not return."

"You said that earlier. You're just repeating yourself, moron."

He let out a groan and continued on, "I do not know the details but there was something about the attack that wasn't right." Kikyou's ears perked at this. That was what she wanted to hear. What happened back in their home village? "It appears that the attack was orchestrated by some unknown enemy. It was more than the usual attempt at massacre that our village regularly faces. Everything was planned out, and the sheer force of the enemy was abnormal. Our parents wished for us to leave the village to avoid whatever conflict should arise."

The girls paused for a moment to take in his words. Being born long after the fight over the jewel that their parents had fought in, having an intelligent enemy wasn't so easy to believe. Many demons had attacked when they were young, yes, but none had ever planned their assault. To them it seemed Satoshi was exaggerating; demons didn't stop to think. Even so, what if he was right.

"What kind of demon is it? Once more, if that was a planned assault, why come after us? What could they possibly want?" Kikyou inquired as her interest was peaked. Something did not seem right: only after this attack did her mother mention that Sesono was alive. There was a connection.

"We are unsure what it is. I haven't seen it, but if our parents knew then I am sure they would have discovered its weakness and vanquished it rather then send us away like they did. As for what they want…"

Kazumi and Kikyou unconsciously leaned forward, awaiting his next words.

He cleared his throat, "I haven't the slightest."

"What?" shouted Kazumi as she tried to stop herself from pummeling her brother. Satoshi smiled nervously as Kikyou held his sister back.

"Now, now, Kazu, I'm not finished yet.

"You better not be."

"Though I don't know what the demons were after, I do know that whatever it was must have been important enough to risk countless numbers of their allies to obtain it."

"Isn't that obvious? Of course they wanted something important, you moron!"

Embarrassed, he cleared his throat. "In any case, we should be moving on now."

The siblings started forward, but Kikyou stayed in place. Something felt off. She could feel the piercing glare of a demon watching them as the continued on. She spun around once, twice, but without spotting anything abnormal she shrugged her feeling aside and ran to catch up to her comrades.

Behind her, she left a demonic figure hiding in the trees. The boy smiled eerily as he followed her group from his place slouching on a branch. "Far too naïve, _Hime_."

A/N: Sorry it took so long for this update! I had most of the chapter done almost two weeks ago but I caught the stomach flu and spent most of last week sleeping, and then while I was sick my dog ate my keyboard and I had to get a new one. I'm warning you, in the next few chapters I'm not going to spend much time on combat. Instead I'll be developing the plot more like I have been, only hopefully with chapters that are a bit more eventful. I would love to hear what you guys think of it and what you think will happen next, so please review and let me know! I love hearing from you guys.


	14. Arrival of Love and Death

He lay lazily on the grass under the hot summer sun, his arms folded behind his head. His hair rested lifelessly against his form and the ground beneath, its dark ebony colour absorbing the heat from the rays of sunlight shining down on him. Shadows from tree leaves danced across his face as the wind blew by.

"How boring," he said, his voice dull, barely any interest present.

"What?" A woman asked, as if she had not heard the first time. She turned to him in a puzzled manner, though she knew what he meant.

"This place, it's boring. We have been here for four days now and nothing has happened. Can't we just move on?" asked the black haired man as he anxiously tapped his index finger against the soil.

"You know that we can't," she replied, sighing and rubbing her forehead in an attempt to stop the migraine that would soon ensue. This man was childish when bored, as though he had not matured in his adult years. Whenever he was bored, he let her know.

"But why? It's not like if we wait here something's going to happen. We should move on."

"But-"

"There is nothing here. It's best to continue," he declared, hopping to his feet and trotting forward, leaving his female companion to try to catch up. She grabbed tightly to his arm in an attempt to stop him but his strength was too much and she, too, was dragged along.

Shirou sluggishly walked outside in the open air. He yawned, stretched and opened his eyes to the blinding light of the sun. Its beams were hard on his eyes, which had spent the last three days in the darkness of the cave as he recuperated. That time he spent to recover made his body feel stiff, heavy. He wanted no more then to bolt through the forest and feel the wind against his skin. However, his caretaker would not allow it.

"Shirou," she called from within the cave's stone walls, "where are you going?" She was suspicious of his intentions, as he had a personality not unlike his father.

"Nowhere," he replied in disappointment. _At least, not while you're around._

Rin glared at him with distrust, but brushed it off and forgot about it. If he were to leave, it's not like she could stop him. He was too rambunctious for his own good. Still, it was a relief to see him so spirited. Only days ago he was on the verge of death, unable to even sit up properly. She knew it wouldn't kill him though. His blood was part demonic, no matter how muddled it may have been.

She could not help but realize the length in which it was taking him to recover. If Master InuYasha or Lord Sesshomaru were the ones injured, their wounds would have already been sealed. In fact, if it were her Lord, he would not have been in such bad state from an injury such as that; it is a meager surface wound to demons belonging to the inuyoukai bloodline. Perhaps it was because he carried so much human decent; however, he was still healing at an amazing rate in comparison to what any human could. Is this what being quarter youkai was like?

"Is something wrong?" Shirou asked, puzzled by her silence and blank expression.

"No, it is nothing," Rin reassured him, bringing her thoughts back to reality. The two sat, one in front of the other, as she applied clean bandages to his chest and arm. Already he was almost healed and ready to be taken as Lord Sesshomaru's apprentice, though there was no guarantee he would really train Shirou, the son of his rather impulsive younger brother. Of course, she would never tell him of his recovery; he would simply take off and reopen the gouges in his back. He was easy to read, but not as easy as Master InuYasha. True, they were similar, but still he was not the same. Something about him made her feel different when he spoke to her.

"Hey," interrupted the albino, "where are the others? You know, that imp thing and the girl."

"Ah," began the woman, wrapping the last of the bandages, "you are referring to Master Jaken and Sae. They are accompanying my Lord at the moment." She wondered why he had asked.

"Is that so?" He stared off into space and thought about the mess of a woman he had previously met. She was intimidating and, to him, far more annoying than even his sibling. Already he had forgotten her name, taking no note of it. She was a boorish girl with a sour expression not unlike her Lord. Still, he couldn't help but wonder, "Who is that girl anyway?"

"Sae? Well, she is…" she fingered her lip, not exactly sure as to how she should explain it, "…she is like myself, I suppose."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Rin's voice trailed off, finding the proper words. Before giving a proper answer the woman jumped to her feet and ran to the entrance of the cave, leaping longingly into the arms of her beloved. "Lord Sesshomaru," she said, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist, receiving little response, "I have missed you, my Lord!"

It was only momentary but, for an instance, Shirou swore he saw an upward curve on Sesshomaru's face. He brushed it off as him being irrational and stood to his feet as the inuyokai's followers trailed in behind him. The silver youkai turned his gaze from the woman in his arms to the hanyou a few meters away, glowering. "Hey," Shirou waved laxly, approaching him, "been a while."

He had forgotten about the pest that was waiting with Rin. It annoyed him that the boy hadn't already left, though he was partially at fault for agreeing to train him. _What a tiresome task_.

Sae appeared from behind the youkai, blood dripping from her shoulder. Her armor was cracked and broken. Hair disheveled, she dragged herself into the caved, placed her back against a wall and slid down it to rest.

Shirou watched her from the edge of his vision, only a little curious. "The hell happened to you?" He watched her just as she had done before she left. Their situations had somehow reversed.

"Shut up, half breed," she barked, embarrassed and enraged by the boy standing before her, "it is no concern of yours."

"Keh, fine by me."

Rin quickly rushed to the girl and tended to her shoulder just as she had for Shirou. Her injuries were far less severe but hurt just the same. After analyzing the gouge in her shoulder, she eyed Sesshomaru angrily. He had put her in danger once more, and that was not acceptable. Sesshomaru saw this and narrowed his eyes. Rarely did she stare at him like that – rarely, but when she did, she could stand up to even the greatest of demons, and that included the inuyoukai Sesshomaru himself.

"My Lord, you have done something unforgivable."

The silver youkai simply stood there seemingly unaffected, though worry crept beneath his poker face. "Is that so?"

She clenched her teeth before beginning her outburst. "You put young Sae in danger! Do you not see the blood that she has lost? If she were human, she would have been mortally wounded! This is how you plan to raise our child, Milord?"

Sesshomaru turned away, unwilling to face the wrath of his mate. Likewise, Shirou's ears twitched at this, his face turning a bright red. She had said child, right? Were these so very different beings really…?

"Leave, Milord. I do not wish to see your face right now." Her words were sharp. It had been a very long time since she had spoken to him like that and he knew that she was more than just a little angry. Much to his nephew's surprise, he obeyed the order given to him by the human woman and left the cave. Jaken followed shortly after.

She began applying ointment to the gouges in Sae's shoulder and arm, exhaling noisily while doing so. "Really, that man has no paternal sense whatsoever," Rin stated, still fuming over his irresponsibility.

"Lady Rin, are you sure this is alright?" To Shirou's surprise, Sae spoke politely and with obvious concern. He did not think it was possible for her to have manners, or to be worried, for that matter, though he wasn't one to talk. They were similar, he had to admit, but he refused to delve deeper than that.

"It is fine, Sae. It is due to his own foolishness that this happened to you. I cannot so easily forgive that."

Shirou was impressed with Rin's courage; it's not easy to stand up to someone as obviously strong as Sesshomaru. That man was seeping demonic aura from every inch of his body. Yet, in some shocking, seemingly impossible way, he was defeated by a human girl. _How ironic._

While the girls continued with their medical treatment, Shirou decided to step outside. Perhaps he would finally be able to exercise his over-rested legs. As he exited the cave he spotted his uncle sitting very still on the grass, simply staring into the sky. Curious and intimidated, he approached the man with cautiousness. He stopped before getting too close, sensing his irritability. Something interested him about Sesshomaru, but what it was he did not know. It wasn't his strength or stature, he ascertained.

"What is it, boy?" asked Sesshomaru sharply, not bothering to turn and face him.

"Rin," Sesshomaru turned, though unnoticeably, "she's pretty amazing, isn't she?" He didn't grace him with a reply. Shirou, assuming this meant he wasn't angered by what he had said, continued. "That…about the thing she mentioned…is she…?"

"What concern is it of yours?"

"None, I suppose."

"You needn't know, then."

"…"

Suddenly the two caught a strange, unfamiliar scent. Though they did not recognize it, something about it seemed wrong. The silver youkai rose to his feet and flexed his claws, readying himself for whatever was near, be it friend or foe. After only moments, Jaken came bursting from within the forest, a panicked mess. He shrieked for his Lord in his usual frantic manner, only more frightened than he was during previous endeavors. Shirou, not use to this, clenched his fists in fear.

"Milord! Milord!" shouted the shaken imp as he approach Sesshomaru. "T-there is a man there in the trees! He is not safe, Milord!"

"Is that so?" His interest was piqued. This was a perfect way to release his agitation.

"Master!" screamed Sae as she rushed out of the cave, spear in hand, much to the protests of Rin. "I sense something, Master."

"You too?" asked Shirou, more amazed then unsure. For every one of them to sense the danger from one man was no coincidence and it wasn't something that would happen normally. He hated to admit it, but compared to the other three his senses were dull, yet even he could sense the frightening aura seeping from this one individual.

Their heads shot forward. A figure began to exit the shadows of forest. From that shadowy character appeared a man with long, tied back inky hair in a tan haori, a woman at his side with ash brown hair draped across her back. They took quick notice of the youkai and hanyou but showed little concern. In fact, the man smiled.

Something wasn't right. Despite all of the fear they felt over the approaching being, no doubt both were human. Not only did they show no demonic features, they smelled just like humans. No human could give off an aura that powerful, reminiscent only of Naraku.

"Well, well," spoke the man, stretching his arms laxly as he neared, "what do we have here? A hanyou and three youkai?"

Shirou growled low in his voice, crouching in preparation for attack. This seemed to amuse him.

"Oh and what's this? A human, too? My, what a diverse group you are."

Sesshomaru scowled at him with a look that said he was ready kill. He gripped tightly to Tenseiga knowing that if anyone were to die he could revive them…all except Rin.

"Beat it unless you want to die!" threatened Sae as she entered a fighting stance.

"Moron, you're still injured!" Shirou pointed to her bandages which were already starting to stain with blood.

"Do you want to die, too, half-breed?"

"Keh," pouted Shirou as he crossed his arms, "those looks are wasted on you."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing at all."

Through all of this the pair stayed silent, the man's grin grown ever the wider. "What a lively bunch."

"It would appear so," replied the woman, pushing her dark strands away from her eyes. They stopped casually and the man crossed his arms, overconfidence dripping from his face. The two teens took note of this and stopped fighting, instead directing their anger at the pair.

"Have you children finished your quarreling?"

"Shut up, asshole!" barked Shirou, ready to sharpen his claws on the man. "Who the hell are you and when are you going to attack? I'm gettin' sick of waiting."

"Let's say I'm a friend."

"Bullshit."

"Cheeky aren't you?" he mumbled, though not audible to the others. "I did not come to fight, but I wouldn't mind taking you up on your offer."

"Oh yeah?" Shirou charged at him, claws flexing in preparation. Sesshomaru grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground before he could take more than a few steps. He looked up, both stocked and confused, met with his uncle's glower. Chills ran down his back when he saw that.

"So you want to fight me? Alright then, let's see what you've got." The ebony-haired man stretched and entered a fighting stance. About to start the fight, his companion grabbed hold of his ear and pulled him back. She thrust him to the ground, leaving the opposing side dumbfounded. He rubbed his ear and looked up at her with more annoyance than shock.

"Ayano!" He shouted while trying to rid himself of the throbbing of his ear.

"You know we're not supposed to fight. We should not have even left our post, but you just had to go exploring. Well I've had enough. I will not allow you to cause trouble by fighting this group."

He glared at her, pouted and soon rose to his feet again. He turned to Sesshomaru once more and waved. "Sorry, she's right. I'm not supposed to be fighting."

"And you expect us to believe that?" asked Shirou, disdain in his voice.

The man sighed. "As I stated, I'm a friend. Or, at least, I'm not an enemy. Let's just say that we're neutral." He turned to Ayano for reassurance that what he was saying was correct. He didn't seem to fully understand his own situation.

"Oh, sure, someone with your power is just wandering around after the demon attack a few days ago for no reason whatsoever." You could hear the sarcasm oozing from Shirou's voice.

"While I thank you for acknowledging my strength, it's not exactly like that."

"Oh?"

"We're looking for something," began Ayano, stepping in, "a jewel by the name Shikon no Tama."

"Foolish," stated Sesshomaru, the tension he felt settling.

"Why do you say that, demon?" asked the brunette, concern showing in her tone. She listened intently for his reply, which he at first was not going to give.

"The jewel of which you speak is no more."

"What?" The pair asked in unison. They did not want to believe his words.

"It was destroyed many years ago by a priestess," Rin began, retelling the story as she remembered it. "The jewel held a cursed existence. To end the cycle of suffering, she made a wish for it to disappear and since then it has not resurfaced."

Shirou recognised this story well. Every once in a while his mother told this story to him when he was young. He knew it was from their past. He knew so much about the jewel which had brought his parents together. He never learned what it was despite that. Suddenly he took interest in these unusual and powerful strangers.

"It's still out there." Everyone turned to the man. "Something that powerful cannot be destroyed."

An awkward silence rose. The sun was high in the sky as noon approached. No one really knew what to say to that. Most knew it to be gone. Some thought otherwise.

"Takai, we should return. There's no point in staying here."

"Yeah." The dark-haired man turned to leave with Ayano but first stopped to point at Sesshomaru. "We'll continue this if we meet again, alright demon?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. Sae's raised her guard at this, unwilling for a hand to be laid on her Lord. The two vanished into the forest the way they came. Noon arrived.

A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! I had most of this done after exams but never got around to finish it. As for the title, Takai and Ayano are "Love" and "Death" if you were wondering. What do you guys think? Who do you think they are? I'm interested in hearing your opinions. This story has A LOT of characters involved (there are still more members of the main cast, some who will be revealed as soon as the next chapter and some that won't be revealed for a long time) so I'm hoping no one gets confused as people are added. Yes, these two are important. Yes, more will be revealed about them shortly. And yes, the next chapter will be about Kikyou's group and their parents. Please tell me what you thought of it. I'd appreciate the feedback.


	15. Crimson Demon of the Water

A brunette sat high in a tree. He looked to be in a deep sleep. Beneath the tree arrived a man. He was small in stature with bright, fiery-red hair. His eyes were also red and the left was covered by his bangs. The man looked up at the tree. He wore a hat, attempting to hide his remaining demonic features from the humans passing by.

"Hey," he called to the man in the tree, waited and received no response. The demon tried hiding his agitation, though it was apparent in the way he clenched his teeth. He kicked the tree, shouting "I said 'hey' you bastard!"

The brunette opened one of his eyes to get a glimpse at who was causing so much noise, revealing the bizarre cyan colour of his pupil and iris. He glared down at him in overconfidence, noticing his height and scrawny build and figuring that he was nothing worth worrying about.

"Karo, right? Heard you've got some info on a certain jewel," declared the demon, smiling eerily at the other.

"What's it to you?" asked the boy in response, watching him carefully.

"How'd you like to share?" he grabbed a bag from his robes, no doubt filled with money.

Karo looked at him and eyed the bag, then shut his eye again and wrapped his arms behind his head. "Sorry," he began with a yawn, "but I don't play nice."

"Is that a 'no' then?"

"Take your coins somewhere else. I'm too high-class to accept bribes."

The demon sighed but expected this. He had heard the stories of that kid. In fact, he remembered meeting him once before. Karo was known to be hard to please; he almost never accepted money and rarely gave away the secrets he had come across.

"Alright, alright, I see how it is. What do I need to do for you to tell me where I can get the Shikon no Tama?"

Karo snickered at this, reflecting on just where it was.

"You…what was your name again?"

"To you it's Yaremi."

"Strange name. Well, Yaremi, even if I told you where to get the jewel, you would never be able to obtain it."

"Is that so?" Yaremi scratched his head and laughed in amusement at his words. Surely, this boy did not grasp his strength. "I don't think you realize just who I am."

Karo could see just how cocky this guy was. He had clearly made the false accusation that Karo was unaware of his hidden demonic form. Of course, to him, it was all too obvious.

"A demon hiding in a human façade is a common occurrence these days; you shouldn't think so highly of yourself."

He scoffed and then smiled. "Cheeky brat."

"And if that tattoo on your chest is any indication, I suppose you're some matter of water demon, perhaps a member of the Mizu or Junsui." He referred to the blue kanji for water that was placed on the left side of his chest.

"Nice observation. No wonder you're called 'Collector of the East'. But I will get that jewel, whether I find it now or later. You'd just be speeding up the process." Stated Yaremi, thinking little of how difficult it would be to obtain.

"That so?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Alright then, I'll tell you."

Karo began telling the youkai of where he could find the jewel. His grin only grew while doing so. _I wonder how he'll fair against her. It'll be interesting to see. _

"A girl?" Yaremi rubbed his head in disbelief. He never expected the jewel to reside within someone, let alone a teenage girl. Of course, she would pose no threat to him, but this did complicate things. By the rules of his tribe he was unable to harm humans, let alone women. "Well this is a bit annoying. Why a human, of all things?"

"Not a human, a hanyou."

"Hanyou, is it?" he asked, mouth curving upward. Karo nodded with a bit of curiosity. "That makes things a lot easier. So, who is this vessel for the jewel?"

"It's…"

Kikyou sneezed. Her comrades jumped at the sudden noise and turned to her, a bit confused. She looked at both of them while wiping her nose. "Sorry."

"Are you getting sick?" Satoshi asked, though it was only a formality. Kikyou was very ill as a child and was always bedridden, but since then she had never caught so much as a cold.

"There's no way. It would have to be a blue moon for that to happen!" Kazumi exclaimed, fully aware of her current health. She saw the worry on her friend's face and quieted, anticipating what she may have to say.

"Or a full moon," said Kikyou, eyes showing more fear than they should. Her two comrades stopped at this, knowing just what it meant. They had never seen any of the hanyou children on the night of the full moon. Their family had made it their duty to keep them hidden during that time for their own protection. They knew why, though.

"Is it?" asked Kazumi, turning to her brother for an answer.

"I believe so."

"Then…"

Both looked back to the hanyou worriedly, unsure of what would happen once the sun went down. In response to this she smiled half-heartedly.

"Don't worry, it will be alright." She looked at the sky with bright eyes, staring at the yellowing sky. Sunset would soon approach, then nightfall. For the first time, someone outside of her family would see her transformation. That didn't bother her. The only worry she had was that they would be attacked and she would be useless. There was no use being frightened. No matter what happened, she would not be able to change it.

"Are you sure?" Kazumi questioned, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, but we have to keep moving. It will be dangerous to be out in the open like this once night falls and I won't be able to help if we were to get attacked. It's best to cover as much ground as we can before then." Kikyou declared, moving onward with the two humans following suit.

"Again with the moving. Why bother? We're far enough away by now," stated Kazumi, getting agitated with how much walking they had done over the past while.

"It's not about that," Kikyou declared, not bothering to turn to look at her friend, eyed focused only on the sun, "it's about my brother. The further we walk and the more places we go, the better the chance of finding something out about him. I know it's unlikely but I want to try, you know?"

Fiery orange blazed across the sky. Pink and white clouds were the only thing that partially blocked the setting sun. To Shirou, this was a disgusting sight; it revealed his weakness to the world and showed him just how much he relied on his demon blood. It would not have been so bad if his transformation was the same as his father's, but it was worse. If he stayed with Sesshomaru and Rin he would be ridiculed by Sae. If he left he would most certainly be putting his life in danger.

"You look worried," stated Rin as she approached him from behind, "is something wrong?"

"It's a full moon tonight."

"Yes?"

"It's nothing." He walked outside the cave and went to sit in the distance. Maybe if, for the next 24 hours, he stayed only far enough away from them to not be seen, he could stay safe and keep his dignity intact. His thoughts drifted to his sister, wherever she was. She, more than him, would face a very long and dangerous night.

His fist slammed into the ground. He screamed, "Damn it!" as he gave in to his frustration. When he had returned to fight with his parents it had never occurred to him that he might be putting Kikyou in danger. She was his sister. He was supposed to protect her and he failed.

Sesshomaru walked passed him and into the cave, all the while watching him without him noticing. He was fully aware of a hanyou's weakness and knew that this would be a night of shame for the boy. It was also the perfect time for his death. If he was the same as he was two decades ago, perhaps he would have taken this chance to kill the annoying brat. When had he become so weak?

Rin arrived beside her Lord and joined him in watching the moping teen. She was worried, unlike her lover. She pressed herself against his chest and he complied, wrapping his arm around her waist in a manner that was unlike him. She peered up into his narrow, golden eyes, unease clearly present in her expression. "Something's wrong…" her voice faded out, awaiting her partner's response. _He, of all people, should know what was going on inside Shirou's mind._

"He's pouting," he replied, amusing himself at the thought of how similar the boy was to his father. Of course, Rin did not understand. She simply stared blankly, waiting for clarification. "Tonight that boy will become human."

Rin put her hand over her mouth. She recalled hearing something about Master InuYasha transforming into a human once per month. Shirou was undoubtedly the same. Whatever triggered the transformation was fast approaching.

Sae's eyes widened. This information was all too sweet. She despised that half-breed, and now she could watch him struggle as a human. The thought made her quiver with excitement. She assumed her Lord knew that she had heard due to his unwavering glare, and knew even more that she was not to touch the boy, but a little teasing wouldn't be so bad now would it?

Taking heed of her Master's glare, she sat and began sharpening her spear. It was dulled by the last fight she was in and could no longer cut. Just the sight of it sent her body into a fiery-hot rage. Back then she, Sesshomaru and Jaken were attacked by a demon. However, he was abnormal…

_She raced through a densely forested area, surveying it for enemies of the great Sesshomaru. A flash of red caught her eye. It sped through the trees, almost mocking her. She quickened her pace, still no match for the crimson flare. Frustrated, she growled low in her throat. She came to a dead halt and pointed her spear in its direction._

"_Who are you?" she asked, or rather demanded. The demon laughed, agitating her already wounded ego. "Show yourself!"_

_In a blue mist, the demon revealed itself. It emerged from the mist drenched in water, grinning widely. He flexed his hand and looked confidently into her eyes. "You're not in a position to be ordering me around, woman."_

"_Is that so?"_

"_It is."_

_She gritted her teeth, furious at the man, whoever he was. Immediately she charged forth, barely missing his neck. She continued jabbing at him and he dodged until one final hit had slashed through his chest. She grinned, proud that she was able to shut him up, but so did he. Immediately the water that was dripping from him entered the wound and sealed it, completely removing all traces of the injury. Mouth ajar, she didn't know how to react. She stood there, arms lowering, baffled by his strange healing ability._

"_My turn?" he asked, preparing to run. He dashed towards her, slamming his fist directly at her neck, almost suffocating her. He tore at her shoulder, ripping her skin into shreds. Her bones cracked under the pressure. She screamed, grabbing tightly to her bloodied arm. He jumped behind her, whispering in her ear, "Painful, isn't it? I'm here for your keeper, not you. Be thankful for that."_

Just remembering him made Sae full of rage. Of course, he was no match for the taiyoukai he was seeking and Sesshomaru had quite nearly ended his life, but that did nothing to quell her fury. She gripped her shoulder just as she had that day, remembering the humiliation she had felt. She hated that red demon even more than she hated Shirou, as hard to believe as that was.

Kikyou's senses were beginning to dull as dusk came to a close, giving her reason to worry. She nervously searched with the others for a place to camp for the night. As they made a fire and the last sunlight hid behind the earth, Kikyou sensed something. She did not know what it was or if it was dangerous. All she knew was…

"Something's here," she declared as she felt her demonic energy drain rapidly.

The siblings' eyes widened. They grabbed hold of their weapons tightly, Kazumi with her katana and Satoshi with his staff, greatly resembling his father's. They both shielded Kikyou, knowing well that she would be unable to assist them.

"So you knew I was here, did you?" a voice bellowed from the shadows of the forest. Suddenly, camping in the woods felt like a very bad decision. They watched as a red-headed teen entered the light of their fire. He smiled at them unpleasantly as he held out his right hand. The water surrounding his body began to pool around his arm, shaping itself into something similar to a sword. He took one step.

Kazumi charged, swinging her sword as hard as she could. He dodged. In fact, he disappeared. Without warning he was face-to-face with the transforming hanyou, ready to pierce through her chest and grab the jewel for himself. Kikyou did not look scared. Even then as her features vanished, she bravely stood tall before the demon. Her expression angered him. He went to strike her, but she grasped the water blade, went through it and latched on his wrist. She looked up at him with unwavering determination and a hint of a smile.

"Daring, aren't you?"

"If I wasn't then I would be dead by now."

He jumped, arm still in her grasp and kicked her torso. Kikyou was sent flying into the bush. Satoshi went at him in a rage, blindly swinging his sword at him. He easily dodged and retaliated, using almost none of his strength. He could not risk harming the humans. Satoshi pulled a sutra from his sleeve and threw it at the demon's face. After a quick chant his face started to burn and he writhed in pain.

"Bastard!" he shouted as he ripped off the sutra and approached the young monk.

Kazumi ran up to Kikyou and helped her up. "Are you alright?" she asked, worried as her friend hung her head low. She had no response at first.

"Sorry," she began, lifting her head slowly, "but I don't think I'm going to be much help anymore."

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><p>AN: So there it is, after so much procrastination! I want to get the next chapter up soon since it's basically the 2nd part of this chapter. I'd like to hear what you guys think of it and what you think will/want to happen, so I'd really appreciate some reviews! Also, I know the story jumps around a lot, but it will all start to make sense in another few chapters when everything starts to come together. BTW, what do you think the difference is between InuYasha's transformation and his kids'? Let me know! Look forward to chapter 16 sometime this week!

UPDATE: Sorry Chapter 16 isn't up yet. My mother died March 22 and I completely forgot about writing this. I've fixed up a few mistakes in this chapter though. Things have started to settle down so I'm going to try continuing it as best I can despite the lack of practice so I hope all of you can bare with me and continue reading the story. Reading your reviews really brightens my day so I just want to say that I appreciate all of you a lot. Thank you.


	16. A Confusing Night

"A human?" asked the demon in a rhetorical manner after a long silence. Her comrades paused, gasping. They knew what would happen but still were in shock.

At first glance, nothing had changed. Then, atop her head, nothing could be seen. Instead human ears rested on both sides of her head and her golden eyes had turned a musty brown. Though she appeared not to have changed, a demon could tell immediately from stench alone. She reeked of human blood. Her aura had gone from strong and invasive to cowardly and meek in only an instance.

"Guess you know my secret," Kikyou stated, masking her fear in an air of confidence.

The demon bottled up his rage in an attempt to stay composed. Then he spun around, kicked a tree and broke it in half. The three jumped a little, envisioning the tree as themselves. They watched in fright as the demon growled low in his throat.

"Damn it! That bastard didn't say anything about this!" The demon glared at Kikyou from the corner of his eye as his anger subsided. He wasn't one to become easily enraged and even that outburst was unbefitting. "Kikyou, right?"

"How do you…"

"I'm not the only one. And so long as you have that little trinket of yours, I won't be the last."

"What are you saying?" Kikyou asked, eyes narrowing with distrust. He smiled.

"I'm proposing a deal. As it stands now, I cannot touch you. However, once the sun rises you're free game. I'm sure you know what will happen."

Kikyou gripped the soil beneath her hand, worried about what this proposition of his may entail. She rose to her feet, looking directly into his eyes. "Get to the point."

He smiled.

"My _point_ is that you need me and I need that jewel."

"I don't need you."

"Oh, yes, you do. Do you really think that scrawny hanyou body of your will protect you forever? I'm only the beginning."

"Kikyou, don't listen to him. He's just a filthy water demon," Kazumi stated as she watched her friend's wavering eyes.

Sae left the cave and headed out into the fields. Begrudgingly she headed out to find Shirou to notify him of dinner being ready. She could smell him, but the scent was not all familiar. He was nearby, probably, and so she headed to the treeline.

"Shirou, you there?"

She heard a twinge among the darkness. She, however, was a demon with sight only as strong as a human's.

"Shir…"

"Go away!" he yelled, his voice both angry and sad.

She looked down at the boy who leant against a tree. Her eyes broadened to see a boy with black hair. He was, undoubtedly, human. At first all she wanted to do was mock him, seeing as his strength and senses were reduced to almost nothing. However, those thoughts faded from her mind. He hated himself and that reflected clearly on his face.

"Disgusting, isn't it?"

"So, it's the full moon that triggers it…"

"Just leave."

"Leave? Do you know what Lady Rin will do to me if I just leave you out here?"

He looked up at her, more irritated than anything.

"Why stay out here in your condition? You have a better chance of survival in the cave with Milord protecting you. Moron."

"I…" His voice faded as he remembered when this happened in the past. Each time he was confined to his father's side. It was for his own protection, but he couldn't help but wonder why his mother, a human, was able to stand on her own and protect himself. Sango and Miroku were the same. Perhaps he was weaker than them. He didn't want that. "I can't."

"What?"

"Rather, I won't. I can take care of myself."

"I'm listening."

"Kikyou!" shouted Kazumi, shocked that she would ever sink so low as to make a deal with a demon. Kikyou glanced at her briefly and then turned back to the red demon.

"Provided you hand over the jewel when I need it, I'll protect you. Well?"

From atop the trees sat another demon, watching and waiting, intrigued by the two below. He watched the raven haired girl from above, awaiting her response. It was inevitable that she would accept, especially in such an unfavourable situation. It was inevitable.

"Not in your life." Her human companions smiled while the demon remained confused. "I would never give the jewel to a demon, no matter the reason. When I become I hanyou again I assure you that you will not be able to take the jewel. Do you know why?"

There was a pause. The hidden demon blinked, awaiting an answer. No one said a word.

"It's because I'm a hanyou. Demons may have strength, but humans are far more capable than you give them credit for."

The red demon scoffed at this, arms folded. "Then I'll just take it by force once morning arises."

Kikyou smiled and stuck her tongue out at him. He growled at her in response. "I won't transform back until tomorrow night. If you're going to attack me, best do it now."

"Believe me, I'm tempted."

Interrupting their conversation, the hidden demon dropped from his tree and approached them in the shadows, his eyes shining a bright cyan among the blackness of the forest. "Alright, that's enough of that. Leave Kiki alone."

"That voice is…"

Appeared from the dark stood Karo, whom she had not seen since she had ran away from home. Satoshi and Kazumi were at a loss for words, assuming another enemy had appeared. He smiled his usual overconfident grin as he approached them. "She's already promised me the jewel so you can back off now, Yaremi."

"I did no such thing! Forget that…you know him?"

He blinked a few times, then quickly rushed over to the demon. He whispered, "Say anything and I'll kill you."

"Of course not. I've heard about him though. His name is Yaremi and he's a water serpent—a member of the Junsui clan—which means he's not allowed to attack humans, as per his clan's rules." He halted his information after Yaremi sent him a deadly glare.

"Just wait a minute!" shouted Satoshi, who had remained quiet for the past while. "Who are you? You're a demon, right? Just what do you two want with Kikyou?"

Karo sighed. "I want the Shikon no Tama embedded within her chest."

"The Shikon—wait, you mean the Jewel of Four Souls? That was destroyed long before any of us were born.

"Did you really think something so powerful would just vanish?"

Kikyou's mind flashed back to the night he had first said that. She remembered the glow of his eyes against the piercing darkness as he said those very same words to her. Without even realizing it she had already begun to believe it despite lacking proof. If what he said was true, what did it mean? Why was she the carrier of the jewel? She recalled her parent's stories of the Shikon no Tama, about how much sorrow and pain it brought with it and how its existence was cursed. The more she remembered, the more her grievance showed on her face. If it had been reborn within her, how could she stop the cycle of misfortune from recurring?

"Kikyou…" Kazumi's voice trailed off, watching the black expression of her comrade turn to sadness. The boys turned to see this as well. The only one to show concern was Satoshi, whilst Karo furrowed his brow. He knew whatever she was thinking was something he did not want to hear. "Is something wrong?"

"Karo!" Her head shot up to face his, showing, for the first time, her resolve. "If the jewel is really within me, I will never let you have it."

"What did you say?" He growled in a deep, bellowing voice. For the first time Kikyou had seen him lose his temper. He flexed his claws in a similar fashion to her brother and father, an action that usually followed violence. She felt her body tremble with those words. Perhaps it was the human in her that was scared off by that demon's appearance. It did not matter. For the first time she was certain that her feelings were correct and nothing would deter her from believing them to be true.

Kazumi and Satoshi rushed to shield her, holding their weapons firmly towards the demons. They didn't understand the situation, but nothing would stop them from protecting their friend. "I don't know what you want the jewel for; it doesn't matter. You don't understand the true nature of the jewel. Giving it to you would be a mistake. No matter what you say, I can never let you have it. If that means I have to fight you then I will."

Karo's eyes filled with anger and rage. He removed a blade from his pant leg and dashed towards her. "Then I'll just have to take it!" He jumped up over her bodyguards and prepared to stab her straight through her chest. Kikyou closed her eyes in preparation. Instead of pain she felt cool drops of water hit her face. She looked up, seeing Karo's arm caught in a sphere of water.

"Now, now, is that any way to treat a lady?" Yaremi stood with his arm outstretched, keeping the water together. He watched up at Karo whose anger seemed to subside. He let the water fall and Karo ran into the darkness. The others just stared blankly, unsure of what had just happened. "He's not so bad. Well, normally."

"How can you say that? He just tried to kill her!" Kazumi blurted out, wanting to hit him over his head with the hiraikotsu.

"He was using a knife. He's a demon. If he really wanted to hurt her, he would use his abilities. That guy's strong; he was just trying to scare her a little."

"Why did you save me?" Kikyou asked, not sure what to make of his sudden change.

"The teachings of my clan prevent me from allowing harm to befall humans. I was never planning on killing you, I just want the jewel," stated Yaremi.

Kikyou looked into the shadows of the forest. Whether he was truly aiming to hurt her or not, he was still terrifying in that moment. His passion for the jewel made her curious about what he needed it for.

"In any case, I'll be protecting you from now on, Kikyou."

"What?" Satoshi and Kazumi shouted in unison. Kikyou blinked blankly for a few seconds before quietly asking "Why?"

"I've found the jewel so I can't just walk away and leave without it. Besides that, I'm interested in the Collector's interest in you. He's a dangerous kid; people like him don't show interest in just anything."

"Collector"

"Karo's alias—Collector of the East."

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><p>AN: Finally an update. It's been about 4 1/2 months since my mother died and I think I'm finally ready to continue with this story. I tried before now but I just wasn't able to write for whatever reason. I know the chapter is short and there's a lot of talking but I'm really out of practice so hopefully you'll excuse the sloppiness. I'll try to redo it eventually. I'm going to start on chapter 17 tomorrow morning so hopefully there will be another update then or in a few days. I appreciate the one person who wrote a review asking me to continue this. Actually I decided on the ending of the story while writing this chapter (don't get your hopes up-I'm still not even done introducing the characters or the main villan(s) and I want to answer every question before it ends) and so now the rest of the chapters will base themselves on the outcome. I'm glad to finally be writing again and hope that you guys will continue to support me while I do so.

Id love to hear any ideas/theories you have about the story and any and all feedback is appreciated so that you in advance and **please review**!


	17. Reflection and Misinterpretation

**I would appreciate it if you guys would take the time to vote on the poll on my profile page. The characters chosen as the most liked will appear more often in the story :) Also please review with any ideas or comments you have about the story. The reviews let me know that people care about this story. Anyways, as always, thank you for reading and enjoy one of the longest chapters yet!**

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><p>"Keh, I say we find their boss and take 'em out."<p>

"You say that, InuYasha, but do you even know where to begin to look for her?" retorted the monk, arms folded and eyebrows arched in a concentration of thought. His wife dabbed at the cuts at his face with a wet cloth and strange green goop made from crushed herbs. It had been a very drawn out few days and none could muster the strength to go against another horde, including the great hanyou.

"Well, I…" his voice trailed off, fumbling over his once seemingly invincible plan. Scratching his head, the dog demon dropped to his feet to pout. Nothing was ever as easy as he made it out to be and his old friend was one to bring that to light, shattering his optimism. His miko watched him as he mumbled inaudible thoughts to himself. She understood why he was so quick to speak; those demons had ceased their attack for a reason.

"The hell do you suppose we do then?" he shouted back at the monk and slayer as his remaining calm demeanour whittled away.

The monk sighed, saying nothing. He wasn't so sure himself. It felt like the world was closing in on them in preparation to crush them into dust.

"We have to work quick," Sango began, bandaging the last of her husband's wounds, "before they find whatever they're looking for."

The remaining group turned to her, eagerly anticipating the details to her claim. When she failed to continue, Kagome spoke up. "I think you're right. They wanted something and whatever it is must have left. That would explain why there haven't been any attacks since daybreak."

"What were they after?" inquired the hanyou sitting with his legs folded in his usual fashion.

"The children, perhaps," stated Miroku as his fingers ran across his chin. Three pairs of wide eyes gawked at him as his own narrowed. He gave them only moments to take that thought in. "If what they are searching for is no longer here then that is the only explanation. Nothing else has left the area since the attacks began. Though I do not know the reason for this, I am certain that it must involve them somehow. As much as I despise the thought…"

Kagome held her breath for those words. She heard voices sounding in her mind—her children, her mother—and all of her happy memories whisked away. She trembled as all of the despair she had suffered through repeated in her mind. They had already lost Sesono as a child and her other son was missing. If anything happened to Kikyou as well, she would not be able to handle it. Her legs, zapped of energy, collapsed beneath her. Though she was looking forward, she saw nothing.

"No…"

Slowly her hands rose to her face as tears began leaking from her eyes. How could this happen? Only days ago they were happy and free of troubles. The four of them lived peacefully within the forest, not bothered by demons or humans alike. Now she had to worry about losing both of her children to whatever unknown force they faced. Even Naraku hadn't caused her this much pain.

InuYasha wrapped his arms around her as she cupped her eyes. She felt his warm surround her, a feeling that always meant she would be ok. He allowed her to settle before saying anything. Her breaths regained their normal speed and she relaxed her arms at her sides. "I promise that I won't let anything more happen to them. You have to trust me." Tears returning, she nodded her head and relaxed it on his shoulder before wiping her eyes and regaining her composure.

"In any case, we must begin our search immediately. We have wasted too much time as it is," the monk stated as he rose to his feet, brushing the dirt off of his robes. There was no time to waste.

"What? I thought you said that was a bad idea!" shouted InuYasha, eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"It is. However, we don't have much choice. Staying here will do us no good."

"Then why not find the children? It shouldn't take long with Kirara's speed and InuYasha's nose." Sango suggested.

"We can't."

"Why not?"

Miroku took a deep breath. "The demons left long after they did—they don't know where they are—if we join up with them then there is no doubt they will be found. I guarantee that woman left some spies to follow us. Our only choice is to find her. If we do, the attacks will cease and the children will be out of harm."

"What if we're too late?" Kagome's voice rang out. There was a slight pause as she gathered her thoughts. "What if she finds them before we find her? I don't want to lose them."

The teens all sat in a circle fire blazing in the center. They raised their hands to its warmth, watching its flames flicker before them. Off in the darkness sad a lone water demon impatiently taping his nail against the group. While the humans sat eating and laughing together, he was barred from so much as nearing the open flame.

"When are you going to remove this thing?" shouted the demon to the human boy near the fire. He pointed his clawed hand at the talismans which surrounded his form. When his flesh touched its walls, it began to sizzle and burn away. Already his hands were red and raw from attempted escape.

"Why should I remove it at all?" asked Satoshi before taking a sip of tea.

"Damn brat," snorted the demon as he fought the urge to try to rip apart the barriers again. |I said I was on your side, didn't I?"

"You attacked us!" Kazumi shouted, wanting nothing more than to hit him with something/

"That's a minor detail!"

As they continued to argue, Kikyou stared attentively at her clawless hands. She, for twenty-four hours, would remain like this. All of the strength and confidence she normally possessed had vanished, leaving no traces behind. For the moment, she was no different than the villagers who had mocked her throughout her life. That wasn't what she wanted; she did not want to be afraid. It seemed, though, that it was a part of human nature. Looking at the red-haired boy, she could not help but feel trembling rise from within her. Not long ago, she was the same. She also carried within her the blood of a demon and proudly flaunted her demonic traits. Thought her thoughts remained unchanged, her body reacted to the innate fear swelling inside her chest.

She buried her head in her arms without the others noticing. So many thoughts were racing through her head. Thoughts of Karo lingered most of all. His visage against the moonlit sky was burned into the deepest recesses of her mind, his intense, focused cyan eyes failing to leave her alone. When she saw his eyes, her human side went cold with fear. Of all demons she had encountered, he made the human in her petrified with fear. Never before has she been through such turmoil as that night.

"And what was that the other guy said about you being a water serpent? You look nothing like one," complained Kazumi, getting in the demon's face. He growled low in response as she smiled smugly at him, satisfied with his silence.

"You humans are all the same," he began, causing Kikyou to look his way, "you understand so little yet claim to know all there is about us demons."

"What did you say?" Kazumi hissed, grabbing firm hold of the material on her hiraikotsu.

"I take on human form as a form of self-preservation," he explained, piquing the interest of those around him. "My demonic form is that of a water serpent. I cannot survive away from water for long in that form."

With that, she realized something that she had overlooked for so long. Every demon that resembled her was only hiding in a human façade. This was not limited to Yaremi—Karo and the man who masqueraded as a slayer were the same, as was the case with every human-like demon she would meet in the future. This trait wasn't just a method of survival for some demons, it was also a sign that they were among the most elite of demons. They were strong, even by demon standards. Karo was the same. He could have killed her, so why didn't he?

As the bickering between them continued, Kikyou slipped away into the darkened forest. She needed a quiet place to think. As a human she knew this was foolish of her but as a demon she was confident. Though she could no longer feel that confidence, she remembered it. That was enough, she hoped.

Strange sounds filled the air, far more muffled than usual. That lack of accuracy only made her nerves worse. She fumbled through the trees, avoiding the small, faint pairs of eyes around her. Her breaths grew more exasperated as the sounds closed in around her. She was determined, however, to overpower her human instincts with will alone. If she couldn't stay calm while the transformation occurred then she would be useless to her comrades. She didn't want that—to be left behind.

Kikyou leant against a tree, sprawling her palm over its park in an attempt to quell her shaking body. She watched it, squinting to see in the dark with her feeble human eyes. _What am I even doing out here? _She pressed her forehead against the tree. It's cool surface soothed her unsettled mind.

The thoughts began anew as she stood there. Motionless among its branches, her first concern was the mystery behind the Shikon Jewel. Her mother's told of her struggle to make the jewel whole and use its wish. Her father had wanted it, though she knew not what for. However, the jewel was tainted. No matter how purified, a wish on it would only result in terrible sorrow. The jewel was forged by Priestess Midoriko fighting an unending battle against the demons. It was an item created by that war and was forever cursed. Her mother had succeeded in destroying it, or so the story went. But now…

"I don't know what to believe," murmured the human as her fist lightly hit against the trunk Even without confirmation, word had already spread about the Shikon no Tama allegedly residing inside her chest. Already Karo and Yaremi had come for it. "How long can I keep this up?"

Though her ears were weak, she still managed to hear a rustling among the trees. Quickly she jumped back in a gasp, straining her eyes to make out the figure in the tree. Then she saw cyan eyes.

"You," he said, low in his breath, as he saw her standing there. He hadn't gone far for fear of losing track of the group, and therefore the jewel, but he hadn't wanted to encounter than after his last little outburst. He had been reflecting on it for quite some time. There were instances where he would overreact, acting more like a typical youkai than intended. "Kiki."

She jumped at that. He could hear her scattered breaths. Her ash brown eyes shook with terror at the sight of him. Alarmed himself, he thrust himself at the ground to get a better look at her troubling demeanour. At this she stepped back and his eyes widened. He recognised these mannerisms all too well. They were a constant reminder of just how different youkai and humans were. For him to have reduced a hanyou to this, he wondered how drastic his actions really were back then. _Was I that scary?_

He slowly reached out to her and she flinched. She didn't mean to. This human body of hers was unusually jumpy as it was and it only worsened when youkai neared. She was not really afraid, or at least she wouldn't have been, but in that moment she could not control herself. The adrenalin was too much. She wanted to run away. Why?

His hand neared and a flash of light quickly knocked him aside. His body soared through the air and slammed through trees. By the time he had stopped flying he was five meters away and had left a path of destruction in his wake. Agile as he was, he sprung to his feet in preparation of attack. Approaching Kikyou was a man, very tall and lean, in purple robes. His long, raven hair rested softly against his figure. The glint of his sword reflected moonlight directly onto his face. He was a human, with not even a hint of demonic aura residing within him. There was something else, though. Whatever it was, it gave off a feeling of dread. This man was not safe.

Kikyou was leery of this man. He had just attacked her acquaintance, though the way she had acted would have made anyone think that she was in need of rescue. Much to her dislike, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight to his chest. Using his other hand he raised the sword to Karo. She stared up at the man with deep concern. He was smiling.

"Be gone, youkai. I will not allow you to bring harm to this young maiden."

He froze. Was that what it looked like to him? _Did I really look like I was going to kill Kikyou?_

"Now go!" the man commanded.

Furrowing his brow, Karo vanished into the darkness, unwilling to face confrontation. It was clear that he was the only danger.

"There! You're safe now." The man smiled lightly at her. Kikyou's face contorted and she used all of her strength to push her away. He was a little confused, but assumed she was just confused and said nothing as he sheathed his sword.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, quickly building a large tone. "He wasn't going to hurt me!" After saying that, she stopped. Though she had known that all along, it had not sunk in until she said that herself. It was just like Yaremi had said: if he had intended to hurt her, he would not have used a human weapon. As her mind caught up with her, the man decided to speak.

"I'm afraid that you're wrong. Though it appeared human enough, that was a youkai."

"I know," she began, cut off by the man and his brimming confidence.

"I've seen his kind before—the ones with cyan eyes—they're very deceptive and in no way friendly demons. You're lucky I stopped him before he ate your heat." The man stretched while saying this. He straightened out his robes and cracked his neck while she contemplated this. She had never heard of a demon eating the heart of a human.

"Eat my heart?"

"Oh yes, those spirits are always going after the flesh of young women. Rarely can their victims escape. You should feel fortunate."

"Spirit?"

"Yes, that is what the demon is called. Though the name implies an apparition, they are nothing of the sort. You saw the colour of his eyes, right?" Kikyou nodded. "Those eyes can see life force, both of the living and the dead. They use that to hunt out youth with large quantities of energy and devour them."

She groaned. Though the information was interesting enough, it was of little importance. Whatever demon he was, he wasn't a violent one. In their past three encounters he was given numerous chances to end her life, but still she remained untouched. Why couldn't her human intuition understand that?

"I'm telling you, that doesn't matter. He wasn't going to harm me."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Regardless, I suppose I should introduce myself." He leaned forward into a boy. Kikyou eyed him as he stood there, torso folded. "My name is," he began.

"Takai, hurry up!" called a female voice from off in the distance. He looked in that direction, patted Kikyou on the head with a quick "sorry", and ran into the blackness of the trees without a second thought.

She returned to the camp in somewhat of a daze. Even after all of the time that had passed, Kazumi and Yaremi were still arguing, Satoshi had retreated to finish his tea and rice while they did so.

"So why would a water demon be red? Ever heard of a think called camouflage?" Kazumi inquired, still wanting to hit him with her oversized boomerang.

"So what? I'm red! Why is that such a big deal to you?"

"It's unnatural!"

"Damn, all you humans do is complain! It's infuriating!"

In the midst of their debate, Kikyou stepped up to Yaremi, who still remained behind a barrier. She watched him carefully and he studied her with a curious look. She was up to something. She hadn't completely stopped that body's trembling, however she was under far more control than before.

"Yaremi was what you called yourself, right?" He nodded, though suspicious of her intent. "You were right. I can't handle demon attacks on my own. I'm not strong enough. I'm going to take you up on your offer from before."

Yaremi grinned suspiciously.

"However, that doesn't mean I'm going to just hand over the jewel." At this point, she just assumed everything she had been told was true. "Is that a deal?"

He smiled wryly. "Deal."

Kikyou bent over to retrieve the Buddhist talismans scattered around him.

"What are you doing?" Satoshi sounded from afar, rushing up to stop her. She lifted it from its place and the demon rose to his feet. He stretched his muscles and glared at them all.

"I should just tear you open right now and take it." The two gasped at this and even Kikyou wasn't fairing too well at those words, hoping she hadn't put them in danger. "However, water demons are bound to their promises." He bowed politely to them all in the traditional asian fashion.

"A deal is a deal."

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><p>AN: Well, as I promised, I got this chapter up within only a few days! Actually while writing this I sort of entered a trance and I wasn't sticking with the plot I laid out I wasjust sort of improvising. I'll go over it again later to fix any mistakes I've made. Really hope you guys are enjoying the story and any feedback you can give is greatly appreciated. Also, I would love to hear what you think is going to happen after this! I want to see hoe predictable I'm being :) Love you all and thank you for any suport you can give. You're words keep me going.


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